I’m really not picky when it comes to pasta salad. Take some pasta, mix it up with some veggies and a dynamite sauce and I’m all in, all the time. I’m always surprised to learn that I don’t have some of my favourite recipes on this site; this one included. There’s just one measly pasta salad recipe on here. Today is the day to fix that egregious wrong.
When playing around with this recipe, I really debated whether or not to include the croutons. Little bits of toast just sounded weird in pasta salad. But, it is a club sandwich pasta salad after all, so I didn’t see any way around it. I’m very happy that I decided to put them in. They’re not weird and they really do make the salad.
Ingredients:
2 slices of bread, cubed
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Salt and pepper
8 ounces of rotini pasta
3/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Ranch dressing
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper
5 slices thick cut bacon
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup cooked chicken, chopped
1/2 cup Cheddar cheese, cubed
1/4 red onion, diced
Directions:
1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2.) Toss cubes of bread with melted butter, salt and pepper.
3.) Place cubed bread on a baking sheet and bake in preheated oven for 10 – 15 minutes, until they have just started to brown and are crisp.
4.) Cook pasta until al dente as directed on package. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.
5.) Combine mayonnaise, Ranch dressing, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
6.) To a large bowl add the cooked pasta, bacon, cherry tomatoes, chicken, Cheddar cheese, and red onion. Toss, add dressing, and toss again.
7.) Top with croutons just before serving and enjoy!