Creamy Chicken Bacon Pasta Salad

Name: Creamy Chicken Bacon Pasta Salad
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: ¾ cup [Organic Valley® Sour Cream]; ½ cup mayonnaise; 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar; 1 garlic clove, grated; 1 tablespoon honey; salt and freshly ground black pepper; 5 slices bacon; 1 pound chicken breasts; 12 ounces shaped pasta, such as fusilli or rotini; 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved; 1 cup sweet corn (raw, cooked, or frozen and thawed); 4 scallions, thinly sliced; 1 cup [Organic Valley® Shredded Mozzarella Cheese], divided; ½ cup basil leaves, coarsely chopped

Founder of From Scratch Fast, Nicki is a trained chef, cookbook author and recipe developer. Her mission is to help busy families get fresh, wholesome and downright delicious food on the table any night of the week. All of her recipes are naturally gluten-free.

Learn More

A bowl of creamy chicken bacon pasta salad.

This is the ultimate make-ahead pasta salad! With tender chicken, crumbled bacon, juicy tomatoes, sweet corn, basil and an easy, creamy sauce, it’s the perfect warm weather meal or potluck side dish. The no-cook sauce comes together in minutes and can be made several days ahead. Feel free to swap out the boneless skinless chicken breasts for 2 ½ to 3 cups of leftover cooked chicken for an even quicker salad.

Featured in:Superb Simple Side Dishes for Summer Cookouts

30 min Prep30 min Cook1 hr Total

30 min Prep•30 min Cook•1 hr Total

8 Servings

30 min Prep30 min Cook1 hr Total

30 min Prep•30 min Cook•1 hr Total

8 Servings

Featured in:

Superb Simple Side Dishes for Summer Cookouts

Cooking Mode

Prevent your screen from going dark as you follow along.

Ingredients

½ cup mayonnaise

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

A head of garlic with a clove on the side.

1 garlic clove, grated

1 tablespoon honey

salt and freshly ground black pepper

5 slices bacon

1 pound chicken breasts

12 ounces shaped pasta, such as fusilli or rotini

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

1 cup sweet corn (raw, cooked, or frozen and thawed)

4 scallions, thinly sliced

½ cup basil leaves, coarsely chopped

Directions

whisk: In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, mayonnaise, vinegar, garlic and honey. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate the dressing until needed; you can make it up to 3 days in advance.

cook bacon: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. In a large nonstick skillet, cook bacon over medium heat, flipping occasionally, until crispy, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Discard all but 1 tablespoon of fat in the skillet.

cook chicken: Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Place the skillet back over medium heat and add the chicken in a single layer. Cook, flipping once or twice, until golden brown on both sides and cooked through, about 10 to 15 minutes depending on the thickness of the breasts (the internal temperature should read 165 F). Transfer to a cutting board and let cool.

boil pasta: In the meantime, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package directions. Drain the pasta and rinse in cold water. Transfer to a large bowl.

mix: Cut the chicken into half-inch cubes and coarsely crumble the bacon. To the bowl of cooled pasta, add the chicken, tomatoes, corn, scallions, half the bacon and half the cheese. Pour in the dressing and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. At this point, the pasta salad can be covered and refrigerated for up to 6 hours.

garnish: Before serving, fold in the basil, and garnish with the remaining bacon and mozzarella.

Directions

Cooking Mode

Prevent your screen from going dark as you follow along.

boil pasta: In the meantime, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package directions. Drain the pasta and rinse in cold water. Transfer to a large bowl.

garnish: Before serving, fold in the basil, and garnish with the remaining bacon and mozzarella.