Fresh, crisp vegetables, creamy dressing, AND chicken and bacon? I never really have to sell this Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad to get someone to try it. With all this and more, it’s no wonder that it is consistently a hit at our table.

I love pasta salads. They’re so versatile, supporting a seemingly endless array of ingredients. And I’m always experimenting with new versions. I was making my bacon pasta salad the other day and on a whim I tossed in some grilled chicken. It turned out soooo good! I knew I had to recreate it as it’s own recipe asap. So, here we are.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

When I was developing this recipe for chicken bacon ranch pasta salad, I couldn’t stop coming back for more. It’s so snackable! Light enough to enjoy in the summertime, but hearty enough to feed a crowd. And what little leftovers we had were just as good for lunch the next day.

Don’t have homemade ranch dressing in the refrigerator? Don’t worry! I’ve included some instructions below on how to make it from scratch. It’s well worth a few minutes to make the dressing yourself. Once you taste the difference from store-bought, you’ll never want to go back.

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Fresh greens, nutty edamame, sweet cranberries, plenty of cheese, wonton crisps, and a handful of fresh mushrooms tossed in a tangy sweet honey mustard dressing add up to this unforgettable Crunchy Spinach Salad. Inspired by one of my favorite restaurant salads, this salad never fails to remind me of road trips with family.

As you already know, I grew up in New Mexico and I have loved Dion’s Pizza for as long as I can remember. There’s no such thing as a trip back home that doesn’t include a stop there for at least one meal. Even my green chile ranch was inspired by our love for their dressing, since we couldn’t get it after moving out of state. So, I’m thrilled to share another Dion’s copycat salad today.

Dion’s Crunchy Spinach Salad

I fell for the crunchy spinach salad the very first time I tried it. I was visiting my sister Jenny in NM and she ordered this salad along with our pizza. I had always ordered their chef salad, so when this one showed up, I wasn’t sure what to think about it.

It’s hard to believe that was almost ten years ago. I can not believe it took me until this summer’s road trip to Arizona to finally try my hand at this recipe. But, I am proud of myself for remembering to put the ingredients on my shopping list while I was still eating it. How’s that for thinking ahead?

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This crunchy, cheesy Sauteed Cauliflower has me over here make the same side dish on repeat multiple times a month lately. It’s jaw-droppingly easy to pull together, and my boys like it so much they snag pieces right out of the pan.

If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you know that I’m a longtime fan of simple, satisfying, and just downright tasty side dishes that I can throw together on busy nights, and sides like sauteed broccoli and asparagus are often seen on my meal plan.

Sauteed Cauliflower

And this cauliflower? It falls right in line with that: hearty, cheesy, and just plain easy to make. From start to finish, all the prep and cooking for the dish can be done in less than 30 minutes with a minimum of fuss.

I love the contrast of textures in this dish, too. The cheesy cauliflower and crunchy breadcrumbs pair together so well. One of my boys, normally a fierce critic of any dish containing cauliflower, even came back for seconds!

Ingredients and Substitutions

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Creamy ranch dressing meets crisp vegetables and tender bites of pasta in this Ranch Pasta Salad. It’s a cool, easy dinner to beat the heat, and with a total prep and cook time of 20 minutes, it’s my kind of summer meal.

This simple pasta salad has already been made several times this summer, especially when I’ve happened to have several of the ingredients already prepped. (If you happen to have some homemade ranch salad dressing already, you can substitute half cup of ranch dressing for the dressing ingredients listed below, making this meal even easier to pull together!)

Ranch Pasta Salad

Pasta salads have been frequent favorites on our dinner table for years now. They’re hearty enough to be a meal on their own, and they also pair well with almost any entree for a heartier meal.

My whole family loves the bacon ranch pasta salad that I’ve been making for years now. It is a seriously hearty pasta salad – definitely a meal on its own. But for this salad, I wanted that ranch flavor we love, but I wanted to keep the salad a bit lighter and fill it with crunchy fresh vegetables.

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The bold flavors of ripe, juicy tomatoes marinated in balsamic vinegar with plenty of seasonings make this Tomato Pasta Salad an easy winner. And, the actual prep involved? Just ten minutes of effort. Hands-down one of the easiest pasta salads I’ve ever made.

I adore pasta salad. It’s super simple to make and a great way to use up any vegetables you have on hand. And, what I’ve learned over the years is that the right dressing makes ALL the difference. These Marinated Tomatoes are a super shortcut to a fabulous pasta salad that hits way above its weight class in the flavor department.

Tomato Pasta Salad

I’ve been marinating tomatoes this way for over 15 years now and they’ve become a summer staple in my kitchen. And once I stumbled upon using the leftover marinade as a salad dressing, it was a natural next step that led me from the tomatoes to this pasta salad.

And I’m so glad it did. I top everything off with freshly shredded parmesan for a touch of that cheesy, nutty goodness. I love the way that a generous handful of parsley brightens the whole salad with herb-y freshness too.

Once you’ve made this salad, you’ll likely agree that this salad deserves it’s place in the dinner rotation.

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