Loaded Cowboy Pasta Salad is packed full of your favorite ingredients!
it has the perfect amount of kick to it and makes for a perfect lunch, dinner or as a side dish that everyone will love!
This is one pasta salad that stands out from the rest because its full of sensational flavor and everyone goes crazy over it!
I made this last night for my family as the main course meal, I served it with corn chips and tortilla chips.
Everyone agreed, it is for sure a keeper!
I’ve seen some versions of this salad with black beans, which would be a wonderful addition, my family isnt huge on beans so we left them out.
I know what some of you might be thinking, you might be a little hesitant at first looking at all the sauce ingredients, but I promise you it comes together perfectly & tastes incredible!
You can also make some substitutions if you want to change up the flavors – add grilled chicken instead of the ground beef, even doing taco seasoning mixed in the ground beef for more of a tex-mex pasta salad would also be amazing!
Everyone in my house is still eating this amazing salad 3 days later – for lunch and snacking!
When attending a friend or family members BBQ , I always love to bring a couple different pasta salads along with me, this one is always one of them- its a sure fire hit!
-IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON MAKING PASTA SALADS-
One of the most important steps in making a cold pasta salad is remember to “shock” the pasta.
If you do not allow the pasta to cool completely (even refrigerating it to get it nice and cold)
it will become gummy and soak up all the dressing if you try to mix it while still warm!
This pasta salad keeps well for any type of get together you have, picnics, potlucks, pool parties… you can make a HUGE batch just to bring to work each day for an easy to eat, no-cook lunch throughout the entire week!
Stay tuned for more salads and pasta salads! I have a whole bunch I posted just this month! I have MANY that are also low carb as well!
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Be sure to check them all out – just click on the title & it will bring you to the recipe!! –>>
Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
Creamy Cucumber Tomato Salad!
Loaded Cauliflower Salad (Low Carb)
Creamy Bacon Pea Salad
BLT Pasta Salad
Greek Pasta Salad
Loaded Broccoli Cauliflower Salad (Low Carb)
Doritos Locos Taco Pasta Salad
Coleslaw Pasta Salad
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Loaded Cowboy Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 lb. Rotini pasta
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 lb. thick cut bacon, chopped
- 1/2 lb. lean ground beef
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. onion powder
- 1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tsp McCormick barbecue seasoning OR 1/4 cup sweet baby rays barbecue sauce
- 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp. spicy mustard
- 2 tsp. chili sauce
- 1 (15 oz.) can sweet corn, drained
- 2 cups. grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 1/2 cups cubed sharp cheddar cheese
- 3/4 cup diced green onions
Instructions
- Cook rotini pasta according to package instructions and strain and rinse with cold water.
- Drizzle with 1 tbsp. olive oil and set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until crispy.
- Remove bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving a little bit of bacon grease in the pan.
- Add ground beef to the skillet and cook until browned.
- Season ground beef with onion and garlic powder, crushed red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to taste.
- Skim away any remaining grease and remove from heat.
- In a large serving bowl, combine mayonnaise, barbecue sauce, Worcestershire sauce, spicy mustard, and chili sauce and whisk until smooth.
- Add cooked pasta, bacon, ground beef, corn, grape tomatoes, cubed cheddar cheese, and diced green onions and toss until fully combined.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- ENJOY!
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