Chicken Club Pasta Salad: A Whole Summer Meal in One Bowl

A New Favorite for the Summer Fridge

We’ve all made a pasta salad at some point. But this one is a little different — it’s the kind of thing you can make once and eat on for two or three days, and it just gets better as it sits.

I’ll be honest with you: this was my very first time making this recipe, and I loved it. What got me was how it has all the flavors of a club sandwich — that chicken and crispy bacon, the cheese, the fresh veggies — but you get to keep it cold in the fridge and grab a bowl whenever you’re hungry. In the heat of summer, that’s exactly what I want. No standing over a hot stove at lunchtime.

And I’ll let you in on a little something — Darren was in the kitchen with me for this one, and he had a running joke going about “al dente” that just about had me losing it. (You’ll have to watch the video for that one.) That’s the thing about cooking at home: it’s not just about the food. It’s about who you’re standing in the kitchen with.

So whether you need an easy summer lunch, a dish to carry to a barbecue, or something to pass at a potluck, I think this one’s going to be a hit at your table too.

Chicken Club Pasta Salad

Prep Time: 25 minutes Cook Time: 16 minutes Total Time: about 40 minutes Servings: 6–8

Ingredients

For the salad:

• 8 oz pasta (your favorite shape), cooked al dente
• 2 cups rotisserie chicken, chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 9–12 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 1 cup tomatoes, cubed (grape tomatoes work great)
• 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, cut in ½-inch cubes
• About 1 cup homemade ranch dressing (below)

For the homemade ranch dressing:

• ⅔ cup mayonnaise
• ⅓ cup sour cream
• ¾ tsp salt
• ¾ tsp black pepper
• ¾ tsp garlic powder
• A splash of milk or buttermilk to thin (optional, up to 1 tbsp)

Instructions

1. Cook the bacon. Lay your bacon on a sheet pan and bake at 385°F for about 14–16 minutes, depending on your oven and how crispy you like it. Drain it on paper towels and let it cool while you get everything else going. We’re going to want fairly big crumbles for this — it’s the “club” in our club salad.
2. Cook the pasta. Bring a big pot of water to a boil and salt it well — close to a teaspoon. Add your 8 oz of pasta and cook it just to al dente. My tip: cook it about a minute less than the package says. You don’t want mushy pasta once it’s tossed with everything else. (And if you’ve ever wondered about laying a wooden spoon across the pot to keep it from boiling over — it has to be an old spoon with no finish on it. A shiny new one won’t soak up the steam.)
3. Stop the cooking. As soon as the pasta is ready, drain it and rinse it under cold water. That stops it cooking right away and keeps it nice and al dente.
4. Chop your veggies. Dice up your celery (about two stalks’ worth), your bell pepper, and your tomatoes. Cut the cheddar into little half-inch cubes — bigger or smaller is fine, do what you like. We’re going for about a cup of each. I don’t get too fussy with measurements here; I just use my eyes.
5. Make the ranch. In a bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, sour cream, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. That’s it. It’ll be on the thick side, which is just right for coating pasta salad — but if you want to thin it to use as a pour-over dressing, add a splash of milk or buttermilk.
6. Bring it all together. In a big bowl, add your pasta, then the chicken, celery, bell pepper, tomatoes, cheese cubes, and crumbled bacon. Pour about a cup of the ranch over the top and gently toss until everything’s coated. (If you want, hold back a little bacon to sprinkle on top — it keeps it nice and crisp and pretty.)
7. Taste and serve. Give it a taste — between the seasoned ranch, the bacon, the cheese, and that salted pasta water, you usually won’t need a thing. Serve it up and look at all those colors. It keeps well in the fridge for 2–3 days.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use store-bought ranch? Absolutely. If you want to take the shortcut and use what comes in the bottle, that’s perfectly fine — we’re not judging. The homemade version is easy and delicious, but use what works for your day.

How long does it keep in the fridge? It holds beautifully for 2–3 days, which is one of the reasons I love it for summer. Make it once and you’ve got lunch ready to grab all week.

What kind of pasta is best? Use whatever you like — a short shape like rotini, penne, or bowtie catches the dressing nicely. Just cook it al dente (about a minute less than the package says) so it doesn’t go mushy in the salad.

Can I make my own chicken instead of rotisserie? Of course. Rotisserie is just an easy shortcut. You can cook and chop your own chicken if you prefer — you’ll want about two cups.

Why grape tomatoes over regular? Grape tomatoes have more skin to hold the tomato together, so they hold up better in the salad. Regular tomatoes work too — I used them this time — just cube them into bite-sized pieces.

Can I make the ranch ahead of time? Yes! The homemade ranch keeps in the fridge for about two weeks, so you can stir it up ahead and have it ready for this or for a salad.

Is this a side dish or a meal? Both, really. With the chicken, bacon, cheese, and all those veggies, it’s hearty enough to make a meal — but it’s also right at home on a potluck or barbecue table as a side.