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Chicken Club Pasta Salad

Chicken club pasta salad with penne tossed in a creamy ranch dressing and loaded with chunky chicken, crispy bacon, halved cherry tomatoes, and diced avocado. This deconstructed club-sandwich style pasta salad is creamy, crunchy, and meal-prep friendly.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
chilling 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 780
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Penne
  • 12 oz penne pasta cooked and cooled
Chicken and bacon
  • 2 cup cooked chicken breast shredded or cubed
  • 8 strips bacon cooked crispy and crumbled
Vegetables and avocado
  • 1.5 cup cherry tomatoes halved
  • 2 count avocados diced
  • 1 cup romaine lettuce chopped
  • 0.25 cup red onion finely diced
Club dressing
  • 0.75 cup mayonnaise
  • 0.25 cup sour cream
  • 1 packet (1 oz) ranch seasoning
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 0.25 salt to taste
  • 0.25 black pepper to taste

Method
 

Make the club ranch dressing
  1. Whisk mayonnaise, sour cream, ranch seasoning, lemon juice, and Dijon mustard in a bowl until smooth, with no dry seasoning left visible. Season with salt and black pepper to taste, then whisk again to fully combine.
Build the pasta salad base
  1. Add cooled penne pasta, shredded or cubed cooked chicken breast, most of the crispy crumbled bacon, cherry tomatoes, and red onion to a large bowl. Stir until the red onion and tomatoes are evenly distributed throughout the pasta.
  2. Pour the ranch dressing over the pasta mixture and toss until every piece of penne looks lightly coated. Keep tossing until the dressing is no longer pooled in the bottom of the bowl.
Chill and finish
  1. Refrigerate the pasta salad for 30 minutes so the penne absorbs flavor and the dressing thickens slightly. Chill time is complete when the salad looks cooler and holds together when scooped.
  2. Fold in diced avocado, chopped romaine lettuce, and the remaining bacon right before serving. Stop mixing as soon as the greens are just evenly combined so they stay bright.
  3. Taste and adjust ranch seasoning or lemon juice as needed, then toss gently one last time to refresh the flavor. Serve immediately so the lettuce and avocado stay crisp and fresh.

Notes

Pro tip: for the freshest lettuce and avocado, fold them in after chilling and add the reserved bacon at the last minute. Refrigerate covered up to 3 days, but expect the romaine to soften over time—best within the first 24 hours. Freezing is not recommended due to avocado and lettuce texture. Dietary swap: use Greek yogurt in place of some or all sour cream for a tangier, lighter dressing.