Description
A delicious and hearty Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad featuring tender chicken, crispy bacon, creamy ranch dressing, fresh romaine lettuce, and crunchy croutons tossed with rotini pasta and cheddar cheese, perfect for lunch or a light dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein
- 1.5 pounds chicken breasts or tenderloins, diced into 2 inch pieces
- 8 strips bacon, diced
Vegetables and Greens
- 7 ounces romaine lettuce, shredded
- 5 green onions, diced
Pasta and Grains
- 8 ounces dry rotini or fusili pasta (high protein or whole grain preferred)
Dairy
- 6 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
Condiments and Seasonings
- 3/4 cup ranch dressing (homemade or store-bought)
- 1–2 tablespoons poultry seasoning (such as Weber Kick’n Chicken or Italian seasoning)
- Pinch of Perfect Salad Supreme seasoning, to taste
Additional
- 1/2 cup croutons, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (for cooking chicken)
Instructions
- Cook the bacon: In a large pan, add the diced bacon and cook over low heat until crispy. Once cooked, set aside the bacon. Remove half of the pan drippings, leaving about 2 tablespoons in the pan for cooking the chicken.
- Prepare the chicken: Rub the chicken pieces with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season liberally with poultry seasoning. Cook the chicken in the skillet over medium-low heat for about 3-4 minutes per side, or until fully cooked through.
- Cook the pasta: While the chicken is cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the rotini pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Drain the pasta and rinse with cool water to stop cooking, then drain well.
- Combine main ingredients: In a large bowl, add the cooked pasta, diced chicken, shredded cheddar cheese, crispy bacon, and diced green onions. Pour in most of the ranch dressing, reserving some for later, and toss gently to combine. Sprinkle with Perfect Salad Supreme seasoning to taste (about 8-10 shakes).
- Finish the salad: Just before serving, add the shredded romaine lettuce and chopped croutons to the bowl. Add the reserved ranch dressing and toss everything together gently until evenly mixed. Serve immediately.
Notes
- For a healthier ranch dressing option, mix 1 cup plain Greek yogurt with 1 teaspoon each of dried dill, dried chives, dried parsley, garlic powder, and onion powder; ½ teaspoon salt; ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper; 1 tablespoon rice vinegar; and 1-2 tablespoons buttermilk or milk as needed, whisking until smooth.
- To meal prep, keep the romaine lettuce and croutons separate and add them just before serving to maintain their texture.
- You can store the pasta salad, extra dressing, romaine lettuce, and croutons separately in containers or zip-top bags for convenience during lunch packing.
