Cowboy Pasta Salad

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword cowboy-pasta-salad, southern-cowboy-pasta-salad

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 20

Chill time 4

Total Time 4 45

Servings servings

Calories 520kcal

Cook pasta in salted boiling water until al dente per the package directions. Drain well.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet fry bacon until crisp over medium-high heat. Remove using a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain the grease, then dice. Reserve 3 Tbsp drippings in skillet.
Add ground beef and diced onion to bacon drippings. Cook over medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes or until no pink remains, drain excess fat from pan.
Add cooked pasta, ground beef, bacon, cherry tomatoes, green onions, jalapeno, shredded cheese, corn, black beans and cilantro to a large mixing bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, barbecue sauce, Ranch seasoning and taco seasoning. Whisk until fully combined. (This can be done in advance and chilled until assembling.)
Pour dressing over the salad mixture. Stir to combine. (Taste and adjust salt, if needed.)
Place into an airtight container and chill for at least 4 hours until serving.
Store chilled in an air tight container.

- Pasta - I love making this dish with bow tie pasta (farfalle) but of course, you can use your favorite pasta. Rotini, penne, medium shells or jumbo elbow macaroni would all work.

- Protein - You could switch up the flavor by using ground chicken, chorizo sausage or ground turkey in place of ground beef.

- Barbecue Sauce - You can fully customize the taste of this salad using your favorite bbq sauce.

- Beans - You can swap out the black beans using pinto beans or light red kidney beans, instead.

- Mayonnaise - The dressing for this salad has a bit of a spicy-sweet vibe, but not too sweet. The barbecue sauce lends some smoky notes to the mayo and can be adjusted depending on the brand you use. If you choose to use an alternative like Miracle Whip in place of may, please note that it will make it even sweeter.

- Fresh Herbs - If you don't care for cilantro you could use fresh parsley, basil, chives or scallions.

- Vegetables - You could use mild red bell pepper for less spice. You could also add chopped broccoli.

- Adjust the Salt to Taste - I recommend that you wait until the salad is fully assembled adjust the salt. The Ranch salad dressing mix (i.e. Hidden Valley) and taco seasoning will likely have an ample amount. Since salt is completely subjective, it's fine to wait and then adjust to your own taste.

- Optional Garnishes - You can also garnish this salad with crushed Fritos or tortilla chips just before serving.