Chicken and Ranch Pasta Salad with Bacon

Chicken and Ranch Pasta Salad with Bacon

Ingredients
20 oz Shredded Chicken
3 Hard Boiled Eggs
2 Stalks Celery, chopped
1/2 Large Sweet Onion
1/2 can Medium Black Olives, chopped
1/2 pint Ranch Dressing
1/2 pint Buttermilk
1/2 cup Frozen Mixed Vegetables
1/2 cup Chopped Broccoli (large pieces) Fresh or Frozen
1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
2 dashes Worcestershire Sauce (Heavy dashes)
2 cloves of Garlic (minced)
16 oz. of Cork Screw Pasta
1/2 cup Bacon, cooked and chopped

Directions
Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil, add pasta and mixed vegetables
Cook until pasta is almost done, then add broccoli.
Continue to cook until pasta is done and broccoli is bright green. Don’t overcook your pasta or broccoli they will be mushy

Fill a gallon pitcher 1/2 full of ice and fill the rest of the way with cold water; set aside

While your water is coming to a boil start working on the rest of the salad
In a large bowl place the shredded chicken and hard boiled eggs.
Using a pastry blender mix the shredder chicken and hard boiled eggs together.

Using a pastry blender to mix the eggs and chicken together you don’t have to chop the eggs. TIME SAVER!!!!!

Add the buttermilk, ranch dressing, garlic, black pepper and Worcestershire sauce; mix well and then place in the refrigerator.
Chop your celery and sweet onion and add to the chicken and egg mixture. Mix well
Put back in the refrigerator
Slice and chop your black olives
Add olives to mixture in the refrigerator. Mix well
Put back in the refrigerator

Once your pasta and veggies are done; pour into a colander and run cold water over to start the cooling.
Drain to get most of the water off but don’t worry about letting it drain very long
Pour pasta and veggies immediately back into the empty pot
Place the colander on top of the pot and immediately fill the pot with the ice water you got ready earlier
Now pour the ice back into the pitcher; add additional ice to bring it back up to 1/2 full and then fill with water
Now pour the pasta and veggies back into the colander and drain again
Pour pasta and veggies immediately back into the empty pot
Place colander on top of the pot and immediately fill the pot with ice water.
Let the ice sit in the top of the water while you finish making the rest of your salad

Once you have everything completed for the rest of your salad
Pour the ice out of the colander and then pour the pasta and veggies back into the colander
Drain for just a couple of minutes

Now mix the pasta and veggies into the mixture that has been in the refrigerator.
Once mixed, place everything back into the refrigerator to let the flavors develop.

Now mix in your bacon and serve

Note: I make my own bacon bits and keep them in a pint jar in the refrigerator for quick and easy use

Note: If your salad is too dry add a little ranch and buttermilk to add more moisture to your salad but don’t go too heavy adding unless you like a soupy salad.