Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

I love pasta salads, especially recipes that make a huge serving so you can have leftovers in the fridge for a few days to eat with your lunch and dinner. This Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad is particularly tasty as it uses a dry ranch mix in the dressing. It is full of lots of tasty raw vegetables and a hint of cheese and bacon.

My only change for next time would be to prepare the raw carrots differently. When diced, they were a bit too hard to bite into. I think next time I would shred them, or if I wanted to keep them diced, perhaps blanch them so they aren't quite so hard to eat. I'll leave that decision up to you. Enjoy!

Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

Makes about 12 servings

• 1 1/2 cups sour cream
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 packet ranch dressing mix, plus extra to taste, if desired
• 16 oz rotini pasta
• 2 large carrots, diced small (I recommend shredding them)
• 1 1/2 - 2 cups raw broccoli
• 1 cup ham, small cubes
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, small cubes
• 1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced small
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced small

Directions:

1. Combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, and ranch dressing mix. Set aside.
2. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil or vegetable oil so it doesn’t stick.
3. Chop the veggies, ham, and cheese into bite sized pieces. Combine with the pasta and the dressing and stir well. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

Recipe adapted from 4 Sons 'R' Us.