Chicken Pasta Salad made with a homemade Ranch style vinegar dressing, short cut pasta, cooked chicken, Vidalia onion, celery, cheese, bacon, peas and tomatoes.
Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
Hey y'all... the unofficial start to the cookout season is here, the heat is on and that means it's pasta salad time! Don't you just love a good pasta salad in the summer?
They are so adaptable and easily varied, make-ahead friendly, hold well in the fridge for awhile, and are a great take along for family gatherings, potlucks and church suppers. You can literally make an easy meal of it on a hot summer's day if you like, especially when you throw in a little protein. I've added chicken here, but a good smoked ham or shrimp are both excellent too.
It is rare that I don't have some kind of ham in my freezer, but as I have mentioned before, when the occasion arises where you need ham and don't have any, just visit the deli and request a single slice of ham, cut about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick, depending on what you're using it for. They also sell ham steaks in the meat department that work well for many recipes.
Now... you will, as always, pay for the convenience, of course, so the most economical thing will always be to buy a larger half ham on sale, and then put some up in the freezer whenever you cook it. It's nice to know the deli can also come to the rescue too though, something that a lot of folks don't think about!
Besides the ones that I cook, every holiday my mother-in-law bakes a ham of some kind and we are always blessed that she sends the remaining slices, and often the bone, home with us. She doesn't like making beans with a honey ham, but I don't mind that little taste of sweetness one bit, and y'all must know - I ain't turning down a ham bone!
I prefer to finish most of my mayo based pasta salads with a splash or two of regular milk to make them creamier, and this is helpful when stored too because it helps to re-moistens the dressing.
Here's how to make my chicken pasta salad.
Cook, drain and rinse the pasta to remove excess starch. I also like to drizzle a little olive oil on top. Any short cut pasta will work here - I had some Campanelle pasta (trumpets) leftover in the pantry so that's what I used here. Elbows, rotini, shells, even bowties will also work here.
Prepare the dressing. I use a basic homemade, buttermilk ranch-style, vinegar and mayo based dressing for this one, but to be honest, I am not opposed to a shortcut here either so use a commercially prepared dressing or a packet of dry Ranch seasoning if you prefer! Add the pasta to a large bowl and stir in half of the dressing.
Stir in the onion and celery; toss. Add the cooked, chopped chicken, the shredded cheese and all of the remaining dressing. This is also a very good pasta salad for chopped, smoked ham and cooked shrimp.
Add the bacon and peas, if using (I was out of frozen peas, or I would have added them), and if serving right away add the halved cherry tomatoes, otherwise, set those aside until just before serving.
Toss and taste for seasonings and adjust as needed. Add a splash of milk or two until creamy, cover tightly and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Stir in a little more milk to refresh the consistency, and add tomatoes just before serving. Dig in and enjoy!
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