I know that summer is almost over, so the pasta salads, no-oven meals are starting to become a thing of the past until next year when the heat is upon us again. However, I wanted to share this recipe with you that I made up by combining parts of other similar recipes. I had this type of salad at a wedding about year ago and have been wanting to try it but just didn't have the nerve to with my picky eaters. So I decided to make it for a picnic that I was hosting a few weeks ago when I knew that I would have others around to help me enjoy it! However, my hubby and one son ate some as well! Yeah! So since I didn't ask the caterer at the wedding for the recipe, I took to looking online to find something that resembled the salad. Here is what I came up with....
I cooked, drained and cooled the rotini the night before along with adding in some of the bacon bits and some of the Miracle Whip and Ranch Dressing. Then the following day before I was going to serve it, I chopped the tomatoes, and lettuce. I added more Miracle Whip and Ranch Dressing and Bacon Bits and it was ready to serve!
You might have to play with the measurements for the salad because the only measurements that I know for sure is the rotini pasta and the grape tomatoes. The rest of the ingredients I just put in with the rotini and when it looked good I stopped adding them. I don't like pasta salads dripping with dressing so I made it where the dressing part of the salad was light---just enough to stick the ingredients together. Also, I used grape tomatoes instead of the "sandwich" size tomatoes so that I ended up with more tomato "meat" than tomato seeds.
One of these times that I make it, I will probably get some romaine lettuce or fresh spinach to use in place of the iceberg lettuce! So far the few times that I have made it, I have change things up with different shaped pasta including using tri-color rotini. Also I have used roma tomatoes as well, if you use any other tomatoes besides the grape ones you will want to de-seed the tomatoes! I didn't one of the times I have made it since that picnic and regretted not doing so!
1 lb rotini pasta cooked, drained and cooled
1/4 cup Real Bacon bits
1/4 cup Miracle Whip Light
1/4 cup Ranch Salad Dressing
1 pint grape tomatoes, chopped
2-3 leaves of iceberg lettuce, chopped
I cooked, drained and cooled the rotini the night before along with adding in some of the bacon bits and some of the Miracle Whip and Ranch Dressing. Then the following day before I was going to serve it, I chopped the tomatoes, and lettuce. I added more Miracle Whip and Ranch Dressing and Bacon Bits and it was ready to serve!
You might have to play with the measurements for the salad because the only measurements that I know for sure is the rotini pasta and the grape tomatoes. The rest of the ingredients I just put in with the rotini and when it looked good I stopped adding them. I don't like pasta salads dripping with dressing so I made it where the dressing part of the salad was light---just enough to stick the ingredients together. Also, I used grape tomatoes instead of the "sandwich" size tomatoes so that I ended up with more tomato "meat" than tomato seeds.
One of these times that I make it, I will probably get some romaine lettuce or fresh spinach to use in place of the iceberg lettuce! So far the few times that I have made it, I have change things up with different shaped pasta including using tri-color rotini. Also I have used roma tomatoes as well, if you use any other tomatoes besides the grape ones you will want to de-seed the tomatoes! I didn't one of the times I have made it since that picnic and regretted not doing so!
With this pasta salad you will want to make sure that it is eaten within a day or two after making it because the tomatoes really get mushy after the first 24 hours!
After the picnic that day, I sent some home with my parents and told them that they could do up some grilled chicken and have this salad for a nice simple summer meal!
For other kitchen tips, recipes or ideas, head over to Tammy's Recipes!
OR
After the picnic that day, I sent some home with my parents and told them that they could do up some grilled chicken and have this salad for a nice simple summer meal!
For other kitchen tips, recipes or ideas, head over to Tammy's Recipes!
OR
Looking for more breads, pasta, or potato recipes, head over to Jen-Frugal Upstate's Frugal Food Series--breads, pastas, or potatoes.
Orginally posted July, 2008
6 comments:
GREAT RECIPE! I am going to make it either tonite or tomarro. maby I will wait til tomarro but I have everything on hand and Lettuce in my garden I am going to subsitute. YUM!
I just wanted to let u know I am movin my blog...I transfered some posts over to it today, LOL. But the main post that I just posted are the last 2...called WANT TO STAY HOME and New to homeschooling. Im so excited about homeschooling! Hers the link:
http://homeschooladventures.homeschooljournal.net/
BTW...I really would like to hear your inmput on the post WANT TO STAY HOME. LOL. yOU have helped me out alot with some good advice, if u have any please leave it! LOL
Thansk again
I have give you an award! Please stop by! :)
Oh, you had me at BLT! I love bacon.
Yum...that sounds awesome!
That looks delicious! I have been playing around with pasta salad all this summer, especially with including ranch dressing and bacon (two of our favorites around here)! I never thought of adding lettuce to it but I bet that would be wonderful. And to think, I purposefully FORCED myself to walk past the bacon at the grocery store today. I might have to have Eric pick some up on his way home now!
By the way, I can not thank you enough for your wonderful comment yesterday. I am going to print it out so that I can really absorb it and see what I can put into play when I sit down to actually write out our school plans. It meant the world to me that you took all that time. Thanks again!!
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