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Popcorn Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

Popcorn chicken bacon ranch pasta salad with crispy chicken pieces, cheddar, bacon, and cherry tomatoes tossed in a creamy ranch dressing. Cook the penne, cool everything, chill for an hour, then top with crispy popcorn chicken right before serving.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Chill 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 780
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Penne pasta
  • 1 lb penne pasta Use penne for best bite-sized pieces.
Popcorn chicken
  • 1 lb popcorn chicken Frozen or homemade; cook and cool slightly so it stays crisp after chilling.
Bacon and cheese
  • 8 slices bacon Cook until crisp, then crumble.
  • 2 cup cheddar cheese Shred from a block if possible for best melting and coverage.
Salad add-ins
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes Halve for even distribution.
  • 1 cup ranch dressing Use your favorite bottled ranch or make homemade.
  • 0.25 cup milk Helps thin the ranch dressing for easy tossing.
  • 0.5 cup green onions Slice for fresh color and onion flavor.
  • 0.25 salt To taste.
  • 0.25 pepper To taste.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Cook pasta
  1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, then cook the penne pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water until completely cool.
Cook and cool popcorn chicken
  1. Prepare the popcorn chicken according to package directions until cooked through and crisp. Let it cool slightly so it can be handled and will not steam the salad.
Mix ranch dressing
  1. Whisk the ranch dressing and milk in a bowl until smooth and pourable. Stop whisking when the mixture looks uniformly creamy with no streaks.
Assemble salad base
  1. In a large bowl, combine the cooled pasta, crumbled bacon, shredded cheddar, halved cherry tomatoes, and sliced green onions. Toss gently just to distribute the ingredients evenly.
Dress and chill
  1. Pour the ranch dressing over the salad and toss to coat every bite. Refrigerate for 1 hour to let flavors meld.
Finish before serving
  1. Right before serving, top the chilled pasta salad with the popcorn chicken. Serve immediately so the chicken stays crispy.

Notes

For best texture, chill the pasta salad without the popcorn chicken, then add chicken right before serving so it doesn’t soften. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container up to 3 days (freezing not recommended due to pasta and dressing texture). For a lower-fat option, use light ranch dressing and reduce the cheese slightly while keeping the bacon amount the same for flavor.