This Chicken Club Pasta Salad is the ultimate easy, hearty, and flavorful side dish or light main meal. Packed with tender chicken, crisp vegetables, sharp cheddar cheese, and coated in a creamy Ranch dressing, it’s guaranteed to be the star of your next potluck or weeknight dinner. It’s a simple recipe that delivers maximum flavor with minimal effort, making it a total winner in any home cook’s playbook.
This cool, creamy pasta salad is loaded with fresh, crisp textures and savory flavors, making it the perfect quick meal, topped with extra fresh dill or chives.
Recipe Details
This pasta salad is all about fresh, classic flavors and satisfying textures.
- Flavor Profile: Savory, creamy, and cool, with a pleasant tang from the Ranch dressing and notes of fresh vegetables.
- Textures: Combines tender, perfectly cooked pasta, crunchy celery and bell pepper, juicy cherry tomatoes, and cubed cheddar cheese for a satisfying bite.
- Time Commitment: Only 15 minutes of active prep time, plus 30 minutes to 1 hour of chilling time to allow the flavors to truly meld.
- Difficulty Level: Easy! This is a beginner-friendly recipe involving only boiling water and simple chopping and mixing.
What You’ll Need
The beauty of this chicken club pasta salad lies in its simplicity. You’ll need a great base of short-cut pasta and cooked chicken, combined with fresh, colorful mix-ins like celery, tomatoes, and bell pepper, all bound together by a generous amount of creamy Ranch dressing. It’s a classic combination that tastes great every single time.
Ingredient Notes
Using quality ingredients is key for the best-tasting pasta salad. Here are a few notes on the main components:
- Pasta – Short-cut shapes like rigatoni, rotini, shells, or penne work best as they have grooves and curves to catch and hold the creamy Ranch dressing. Ensure you cook it perfectly to al-dente.
- Chicken – For convenience and flavor, use pre-cooked, chilled chicken. Shredded rotisserie chicken is a fantastic option, or you can use leftover baked or poached chicken breast, simply chopped into bite-sized pieces.
- Ranch Dressing – This is the heart of the salad! Use your favorite high-quality store-bought Ranch, or make a fresh batch of homemade dressing for an extra pop of flavor.
- Cheddar Cheese – Use a block of cheddar and cube it yourself (1/2-inch pieces) rather than using shredded cheese; the cubes hold their shape better and provide a great texture contrast.
Add-ins and Substitutions
Want to customize your batch of creamy chicken pasta salad? Here are a few easy ideas that don’t change the cooking method:
- Spice it Up: Add a pinch of red pepper flakes or a few dashes of hot sauce to the dressing before mixing for a subtle kick.
- Different Veggies: Substitute the green bell pepper with red or yellow for a sweeter flavor, or toss in some chopped red onion or cucumber for extra crunch.
- Lighter Option: Replace 1/4 cup of the Ranch dressing with Greek yogurt or light mayonnaise to cut down on calories without losing too much creaminess.
- Herbs: Stir in 1/4 cup of finely chopped fresh parsley or dill right before serving to brighten the whole dish.
How to Make Chicken Club Pasta Salad
This is truly a fast and simple recipe, perfect for getting dinner on the table in minutes. We start by prepping the pasta and finish by simply tossing all the ingredients together.
- Cook the Pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt generously. Add 8 ounces of pasta (such as rigatoni, shells, rotini, or penne) and cook for 10 to 12 minutes or until the pasta is al-dente.
- Chill the Pasta: Drain the cooked pasta immediately. To stop the cooking process and prevent the salad from becoming sticky, rinse the pasta thoroughly with cold water. Set aside.
- Combine Ingredients: Transfer the chilled pasta to a large mixing bowl. Follow with the rest of the prepared ingredients: 2 cups cooked and chopped chicken, 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes, 1 cup cubed cheddar cheese, 2 chopped celery stalks, and 1 medium chopped green bell pepper.
- Dress and Toss: Pour 1 cup of Ranch dressing over the ingredients in the bowl. Toss everything well using a large spoon or spatula until all the pasta, chicken, and vegetables are evenly and completely coated in the creamy dressing. Serve immediately or chill for later.
Pro Tip: Rinsing the cooked pasta with cold water is a vital step for cold pasta salads! This quickly stops the cooking process and washes away excess starch, which prevents the pasta from sticking together and getting mushy once mixed with the dressing.
Recipe Tips
Ensure your Chicken Club Pasta Salad turns out perfectly every time with these easy tips:
- Don’t Overcook the Pasta: Stop cooking the pasta when it is al-dente (tender but still firm to the bite). Since the pasta sits in the dressing, it will absorb a little more moisture and soften slightly as it chills.
- Chill for Best Flavor: While you can serve this pasta salad right away, the flavors blend and deepen beautifully if you chill it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving.
- Use Cooked Chicken: Make sure your chicken is fully cooked and chilled before chopping and adding it to the salad. This keeps the prep quick and safe.
- Toss Thoroughly: Use a large enough bowl that allows you to easily toss and fold the ingredients. The goal is to ensure every piece of pasta and vegetable gets coated with the creamy dressing.
FAQs
Q: Can I use a different dressing instead of Ranch? A: Yes, you can substitute the Ranch dressing with a similar creamy dressing like Italian dressing, Caesar dressing, or a creamy poppyseed dressing, though the flavor profile of the Club salad will change slightly.
Q: How do I store leftover Chicken Club Pasta Salad? A: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Note that the pasta may absorb more dressing over time, and you might need to stir in a tablespoon of extra dressing before serving leftovers.
Q: Can I use raw chicken and cook it for this recipe? A: You certainly can! However, the recipe instructions assume the chicken is already cooked. If starting with raw chicken, you should cook and chop it completely, then chill it before proceeding with the pasta cooking and assembly steps.
Serving Suggestions
This savory chicken pasta salad is robust enough to be a light main course, but it truly shines as a side dish for picnics and barbecues.
- Grilled Chicken Breast or Steak
- Classic BBQ dishes like Pulled Chicken Sliders
- A crisp, simple garden salad or Caesar salad
- Fresh fruit platter with berries and grapes
- Corn on the cob or simple steamed green beans
Make This Recipe in Advance
The Chicken Club Pasta Salad is an excellent dish for prepping ahead of time, which makes party planning a breeze!
You can cook the pasta, chop the vegetables, and cube the cheese up to 24 hours in advance. Store the dry ingredients (pasta, chicken, cheese, and vegetables) in a sealed container in the refrigerator, and store the dressing separately. For the best texture, only combine the dressing and the salad mix 1–2 hours before you plan to serve it. This prevents the pasta from absorbing too much dressing and becoming soft or mushy.
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Chicken Club Pasta Salad (Creamy Ranch Potluck Side)
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
This Chicken Club Pasta Salad is the ultimate easy, hearty, and flavorful side dish or light main meal. It’s packed with tender, pre-cooked chicken, crisp vegetables, sharp cheddar cheese cubes, and coated in a creamy, tangy Ranch dressing. It’s the perfect quick, no-fuss recipe guaranteed to be the star of your next potluck or weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
Pasta and Protein
- 8 ounces short-cut pasta (rigatoni, rotini, shells, or penne)
- 2 cups cooked and chopped chicken (shredded rotisserie works well)
Vegetables and Cheese
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup cubed cheddar cheese (1/2-inch pieces)
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
Dressing and Seasoning
- 1 cup Ranch dressing (store-bought or homemade)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Fresh dill or chives, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Cook the Pasta
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt generously. Add the 8 ounces of pasta and cook for 10 to 12 minutes or until the pasta is al-dente.
Chill the Pasta
Drain the cooked pasta immediately. To stop the cooking process and prevent the salad from becoming sticky, rinse the pasta thoroughly with cold water. Set the pasta aside.
Combine Ingredients
Transfer the chilled pasta to a large mixing bowl. Follow with the rest of the prepared ingredients: 2 cups cooked and chopped chicken, 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes, 1 cup cubed cheddar cheese, 2 chopped celery stalks, and 1 medium chopped green bell pepper.
Dress and Toss
Pour 1 cup of Ranch dressing over the ingredients in the bowl. Toss everything well using a large spoon or spatula until all the pasta, chicken, and vegetables are evenly and completely coated in the creamy dressing.
Serve or Chill
Serve the salad immediately, or chill it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour to allow the flavors to truly meld and deepen. Garnish with fresh herbs before serving.
Notes
Best Flavor: For the best flavor and texture, chill the finished pasta salad in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving. This allows the pasta to absorb the dressing’s flavors.
Prep Ahead: Cook the pasta, chop the vegetables, and cube the cheese up to 24 hours in advance. Store the dry ingredients and the dressing separately, and combine them 1-2 hours before serving for the best texture.
Leftover Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The pasta may absorb more dressing over time; you can stir in a tablespoon of extra dressing before serving leftovers.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Side Dish / Main Dish
- Method: No-Cook Dressing / Boiling
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 365
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 380mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 26g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 15g
- Cholesterol: 40mg
Keywords: Chicken Club Pasta Salad, Ranch Pasta Salad, Easy Potluck Side, 30 Minute Meal, Creamy Pasta Salad, Rotisserie Chicken Recipe
