Bow-Tie Cowboy Pasta Salad

This cowboy salad is a tasty mix of fresh veggies, bow-tie pasta, and a delectable ranch sauce that your family will gobble up as quickly as mine did!

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 20 mins
• Total Time: 35 mins
• Calories: 337 Calories

Ingredients

• ¼ cup milk
• 1 ½ teaspoons garlic salt
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
• ½ cup bacon bits
• ⅓ cup chopped green onion
• 1 cup frozen peas
• ⅓ cup diced red onion
• 1 cup creamy salad dressing (such as Miracle Whip®)
• 1 (1 ounce) package ranch dressing mix (such as Hidden Valley®)
• 2 cups chopped broccoli florets
• 1 (16 ounce) package bow-tie pasta (such as Barilla®)
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil (Optional)
• 1 (16 ounce) can mushroom stems and pieces

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook bow-tie pasta at a boil, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 12 minutes.

Step 2

Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add peas; cook and stir until heated through, about 5 minutes. Let cool.

Step 3

While pasta cooks, mix salad dressing, milk, ranch mix, and garlic salt together in a large bowl until smooth. Add mushrooms, broccoli, 1/2 the Cheddar cheese, bacon bits, red onion, green onion, and cooled peas. Mix thoroughly. Refrigerate salad until pasta is done.

Step 4

Drain pasta and rinse with cold water. Mix thoroughly into the salad. Top with the remaining Cheddar cheese and refrigerate until ready to serve.