Description
This Savory Chicken Club Pasta Salad is the perfect summer dish, combining tender rotisserie chicken, crispy bacon, fresh vegetables, and creamy dressing with corkscrew pasta. It’s a flavorful and easy-to-make salad that’s great for picnics, potlucks, or a light lunch.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 8 oz corkscrew-shaped pasta (fusilli)
Dressing
- 1/2 cup Italian-style salad dressing (homemade preferred)
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise (low-fat or Greek yogurt can be substituted)
Salad Mix-Ins
- 2 cups chopped rotisserie chicken (or grilled chicken/turkey)
- 4 slices crispy cooked bacon (or turkey bacon/omit if preferred)
- 1 cup cubed Muenster cheese (cheddar or mozzarella can be used)
- 1 cup chopped celery (bell peppers can be substituted)
- 1 cup chopped green bell pepper (mix colors for variety or omit)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes (grape or diced regular tomatoes can be used)
- 1 avocado, diced (add just before serving to maintain freshness)
Instructions
- Cook Pasta: Boil salted water and cook the corkscrew-shaped pasta until al dente, about 8-10 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool quickly and stop cooking.
- Prepare Dressing: In a large bowl, whisk together the Italian dressing and mayonnaise until smooth and creamy to form the salad dressing base.
- Combine Ingredients: Gently fold the cooled pasta, chopped rotisserie chicken, crispy bacon, cubed cheese, chopped celery, green bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, and diced avocado into the dressing, mixing until everything is well coated.
- Chill: Cover the bowl and refrigerate the salad for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld beautifully, enhancing the taste and texture.
Notes
- For a lighter salad, substitute mayonnaise with low-fat mayo or Greek yogurt.
- Turkey bacon or omitting bacon altogether are great alternatives.
- Mix different colored bell peppers for visual appeal.
- Add avocado just before serving to prevent browning and maintain freshness.
- Use leftover grilled chicken or turkey if rotisserie chicken is unavailable.
