Cheddar Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad – a quick and easy combination of favorite flavors like bacon, cheddar cheese and ranch dressing tossed with pasta and BBQ sauce to create a cold side that will become your new go-to pasta salad dish! Great for picnics and potlucks too!
After a long day and then trying to put dinner on the table, the last thing I want to think about is a complicated side dish. So I make this! It just doesn’t get any easier. You can’t go wrong with a mixture of pasta, bacon ranch dressing, and BBQ sauce to add amazing flavor. This dish takes about 10 minutes to make, the time it takes to boil pasta and fry up some bacon. How easy is that? The best part is that everyone loves it!
Reasons you will love this Pasta Salad:
- Quick and easy to make with mostly pantry ingredients
- Kids love this stuff…adults too!
- Versatile – change up the ingredients to use up leftovers
- Leftovers make a great next day lunch – store covered in the fridge for up to 3 days
INGREDIENTS TO MAKE CHEDDAR BACON RANCH PASTA SALAD
- Pasta
- Bacon
- Cheddar Cheese
- Ranch Dressing
- Roasted Red Peppers
- Barbecue Sauce
To make the salad, get out a large bowl and pour in the cooked pasta. Add the bacon, red peppers, and cheese and toss until ingredients are evenly distributed. In a small bowl, mix the ranch dressing and the BBQ sauce until blended. Pour over the pasta mixture and toss until the pasta and other ingredients are coated with the sauce. Salt and pepper the Cheddar Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad to taste. Chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour and serve cold.
Cheddar Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
Click on highlighted ingredients to buy them.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 pound rotini pasta, cooked according to package directions
- 6 slices bacon, cooked crisp and chopped
- 1-1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 cup roasted red peppers, chopped (from a jar)
- 1 cup ranch dressing
- 1/4 cup BBQ sauce
- salt and pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a large bowl pour in the cooked pasta. Add the bacon, red peppers, and cheese and toss until ingredients are evenly distributed.
- In a small bowl, mix the ranch dressing and the BBQ sauce until blended. Pour over the pasta mixture and toss until the pasta and other ingredients are coated with the sauce.
- Salt and pepper the Cheddar Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad to taste.
- Chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour and serve cold.
NOTES
NUTRITION INFORMATION PER SERVING
© Copyright Christine Mello for Must Love Home. We would love for you to share a link to this recipe but please do not copy/paste the recipe instructions to websites or social media. We are happy for you to share a photo with a link back to this website instead.
© Copyright Christine Mello for Must Love Home. We would love for you to share a link to this recipe but please do not copy/paste the recipe instructions to websites or social media. We are happy for you to share a photo with a link back to this website instead.
If you made this recipe, please leave a comment and rating. I would appreciate the chance to troubleshoot any issues you might have had before you leave the rating!
I’m Christine, a self-appointed foodie and almost empty-nester who is addicted to creating quick and tasty recipes that anyone can make. My goal is to give you the confidence and know-how to cook from scratch with easy, budget-friendly recipes. Welcome to my kitchen! 
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Thanks so much for the compliment and the pin!! I made this for my grown up sons and they actually fought over who would get the last serving – must be the bacon!! Thanks for dropping by:) Hugs- Christine
My kids love pasta and cheddar! Since we don’t eat bacon, we usually use turkey instead. Thanks for sharing it with #OMHGWW and happy to co-host it with you 🙂
I am going to have to pin this recipe and make this for my husband. He LOVES bacon, BBQ sauce and pasta salad.