Creamy Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

This bacon ranch pasta salad comes together faster than you can make one of those boxed “Suddenly Salad” things. This recipe makes a huge bowl and it tastes so much better with fresh ingredients. Why cut corners when it doesn’t even save you time or money? This is one of my favorite salads to bring to neighborhood picnics, church potlucks, summer BBQs, or just a weeknight family dinner.This salad is hearty enough to serve as a main dish or serve it anytime you’re barbecuing or grilling out. It’s perfect alongside Easy Smoked Ribs, our Grilled Pork Tenderloin, or this Honey Barbecue Chicken recipe.

Ingredients in this Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

The beauty of this creamy bacon ranch pasta salad is you can add or subtract ingredients depending on what you have on hand or what your kids will eat. It is the perfect side dish no matter what.

Pasta – Get creative with a pasta shape. You can use Cavatappi noodles, macaroni, rotini pasta, penne, bowties, small shells, etc. Ranch seasoning mix – Using a packet of Hidden Valley Ranch mix makes for a deliciously creamy ranch dressing. Mayonnaise – Miracle Whip if that’s your preference. Sour cream – You can use reduced fat if desired. Milk – For an extra creamy ranch dressing, use whole milk in this recipe. Bacon – Cooked and crumbled or chopped into bite-size pieces. You can also use real bacon bits too. Green peas – Frozen green peas, thawed are the best for this recipe. Cheddar cheese – Use a block to cut into cubes. Try and make the cheese cubes the same size. Carrots – Shred your carrots ahead of time to help save time when making. Cherry tomatoes – Cut the tomatoes in half or use grape tomatoes.

Instructions for Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

It doesn’t take long to make this bacon ranch pasta salad recipe! Follow these step-by-step instructions. Make sure to make it ahead of time and cool off the pasta before combining!

Additional Ingredients

Now is the time to empty out your produce drawer in the refrigerator! Feel free to add any veggies you like to this salad.

Peppers – Red, yellow, or orange pepper adds color and flavor. Onions – A chopped green onion or a pretty red onion cut is a great addition to the pasta salad. Seasonings – Garlic powder and onion powder have that powerful taste. Herbs – Chopped fresh dill and chives add an earthy flavor. Celery – Slice and chop the celery into small pieces. Black olives – Drain a can of black olives and slice them into small pieces. Broccoli – A great addition to this bacon ranch pasta salad recipe. Protien – For added protein, you can include chopped chicken in this recipe.

Suggestions for Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

Prepare – Gather all your ingredients for your dressing and salad while the noodles cook and assemble it in just minutes. Pasta salad recipes like this one are super quick to make and feed a crowd! Two bowls – Assemble the salad ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Then in a small bowl, you can mix up the dressing mixture. Make ahead – Be sure to make this salad ahead of time so that it has time to cool in the fridge. If I plan ahead, I try to make pasta salads the day before because it gives the flavors time to mix together and settle. Cold water – Rinse the cooked pasta in cold water to stop the cooking process and give the noodles a chance to get cold enough to toss the rest of the salad ingredients. Quick tip – If you are in a time crunch, pop the cooked noodles into the freezer for a few minutes before adding them to the rest of the ingredients. Just make sure the noodles have time to cool completely. Cooking bacon – When you cook the bacon, chop it up beforehand and then cook it in little pieces so you don’t have to worry about crumbling it afterward. It speeds up the process a little bit.

Making a Healthier Version

For a lower-calorie version of this salad, try using Greek yogurt in place of the mayonnaise and sour cream. You can also use low-fat cheese, mayonnaise, and sour cream. Another healthy substitution is turkey bacon instead of regular. My son likes turkey bacon more than regular bacon!