Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad 
Prep:15 minutes mins
Cook:10 minutes mins
Total:35 minutes mins
Ingredients:
1 pound pasta
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
1 cup frozen peas thawed
1 cup shredded carrot
½ cup real bacon bits
2 packets of dry ranch seasoning mix (1 ounce each)
Directions:
Prepare pasta according to the directions. Rinse with cold water and drain well.
In a large bowl combine other ingredients. Stir in pasta and combine well. Chill for 2 hours before serving.
Tips:
More Great Ad-Ins For Your Salad!
Diced onion
Diced celery
Cubed or shredded cheese
Diced red pepper
Pickles
Pickle juice
Diced hard-boiled eggs
How Long Can Pasta Salad Sit Out?
This is a bit of a tricky question. Macaroni salad can sit out for up to 2 hours at room temperature, but there are factors that play into this. If it is sitting in the sun at an outdoor function it can spoil much faster. Try to keep it in the shade when you are serving otherwise put a large bowl under the bowl with the macaroni salad in it and then put ice in that bowl to keep it cold longer.
How Long Can I Store Macaroni Salad In The Fridge?
I love making this salad ahead of time so I can just pull it out of the fridge and we are ready to go. You can safely store this macaroni salad in the fridge for up to 5 days. Store in an airtight container to maximize freshness. If it starts to dry out simply at a little more mayonnaise to it, otherwise only add half of the mayonnaise to begin with and add the rest right before serving.
Should You Rinse Macaroni When Making Macaroni Salad?
Yes, rinsing it in cold water cools the macaroni down plus it will help stop the cooking progress, so your pasta doesn’t become overcooked and mushy. Another great thing is it takes some of the starch off the pasta which prevents it from sticking together or clumping.
How Do I Keep Macaroni From Absorbing Mayonnaise?
After the macaroni is done cooking run it under cold water to cool it off. Then place it in the refrigerator to cool it down completely. After it’s cooled mix your dressing and macaroni together. A cooled macaroni will absorb the mayonnaise slower.
Nutrition:
Calories: 476kcal (24%), Carbohydrates: 44g (15%), Protein: 12g (24%), Fat: 27g (42%), Saturated Fat: 7g (44%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 36mg (12%), Sodium: 802mg (35%), Potassium: 328mg (9%), Fiber: 3g (13%), Sugar: 5g (6%), Vitamin A: 4301IU (86%), Vitamin C: 11mg (13%), Calcium: 50mg (5%), Iron: 1mg (6%)
Recipe courtesy of Julies Eats and treats.com.
