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The best salads have pasta in them. I don’t make the rules. But I do make a lot of pasta salad as soon as the weather gets warm. Which is finally has. And chicken, bacon and ranch are always a winning combo. Add cheddar cheese, and it gets even better.
This pasta salad comes with an extra bonus: it’s loaded with protein. Like, 55 grams of protein per serving. It’s a whole meal on its own, but it makes a great BBQ side dish too. It’s also great for meal prep because it’s a quick lunch that you don’t even need to reheat. If you’re meal prepping this recipe, I recommend storing the dressing separately so the pasta doesn’t soak up the dressing.
And speaking of the dressing. The creamy, tangy homemade Dill Pickle Ranch Dressing. It’s so simple to throw together, and it’s SO good (it also makes a great veggie dip!). I use Greek yogurt to up the protein content in this recipe, but you can use a mix of Greek yogurt and mayonnaise for a more classic option.
I pan sear some chicken breasts with some of the same ranch seasoning I use in the dressing, but you could easily use rotisserie chicken as a shortcut here. It’s already a quick recipe because the chicken, bacon and pasta can all cook at the same time, but this would cut your prep time even more.
Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad with Homemade Dill Pickle Ranch
Equipment
- 1 large sauté pan or skillet with a lid
- 1 large bowl
Ingredients
Pasta Salad
- 2 cups dry pasta of choice such as fusilli, bowties or penne (I use protein pasta; see Note 1)
- 7-8 strips bacon (I use chicken bacon but any kind works)
- 1 lb chicken breast or 2 cups rotisserie chicken, shredded
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp dried dill
- 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- Cooking spray or 2 tsp avocado oil
- ¾ cup low fat cheddar cheese, cubed or shredded (regular cheddar works too)
- 1 bunch green onions, green parts only, thinly sliced
Dill Pickle Ranch Dressing
- 1 cup Greek yogurt (I use fat free; see Note 2)
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp dried dill
- 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- ¼-½ cup dill pickle juice, to taste (see Note 3)
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
Pasta Salad
- Preheat oven to 375℉ and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper
- Arrange the bacon strips on the baking sheet then bake for 22-25 minutes or until desired crispiness; set aside to cool
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and season with salt; cook the pasta until al dente or fully cooked then drain and set aside to cool
- Season the chicken breast on both sides with the onion powder, garlic powder, dried parsley, dried dill, freshly cracked black pepper and salt
- Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and spray with oil
- Sear the chicken for 1 minute on each side, then cover with a lid, reduce heat to low and cook until cooked through, about 10-12 minutes
- Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes before dicing; chop the cooked and cooled bacon as well
- In a large bowl, combine the cooked pasta, bacon, chicken breast, cheddar cheese and green onions
Dill Pickle Ranch Dressing
- Combine Greek yogurt, onion powder, garlic powder, dried parsley, dried dill, freshly cracked black pepper and pickle juice; shake or stir until combined then season with salt to taste
- Pour the dressing over the contents of the bowl and toss until combine
- Serve right away or divide into 4 containers for meal prep
Notes
Nutrition
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