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There's Nothing Boring About This Buffalo Pasta Salad!

by on ‎09-03-2013 03:40 PM

Hi! I hope you had a great labor day weekend. Did any of you tackle my DIY monogrammed pillow cover in all your free time? Smiley Wink I had lots of “I want to get this done” weekend plans, but I didn’t manage to cross everything off my list. And, somehow it’s Tuesday. And that means YHJ is on again tomorrow! So what’s our recipe for the night?


Buffalo Pasta Salad


That’s my Buffalo Pasta Salad. The beauty of this recipe is you can use whatever you have on hand and it will still taste amazing. I’ve used Farfalle, Fusilli, and Rotini pastas in this dish because I like bite-sized pasta in my pasta salad. But, I’ve had pasta salads made with longer noodles and it’s a refreshing change. Plus, if you only have linguine on hand, you can always break the noodles into smaller pieces.


Next, If you don't have ranch dressing, use blue cheese. And, if you don't have Feta, use Blue Cheese crumbles. If you used blue cheese dressing—and then you use Gorgonzola or Blue Cheese crumbles—you’re just enhancing that great smoky flavor. Finally, if you don’t have time to run and get a rotisserie chicken, use canned chicken. I always keep canned chicken on hand and it’s great in casseroles, chicken salad, and those ooey gooey, cheesy appetizers.


Ingredients:



  • 1 lb of your favorite pasta

  • 1 cup ranch dressing

  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise

  • 1/3 cup hot sauce (or more to taste)

  • 1 tsp salt

  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

  • 2 cups rotisserie chicken, shredded

  • 1 cup celery, diced

  • 1/2 cup Feta crumbles


Directions:


1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain the noodles and set aside. 


2. To make the salad, combine the ranch dressing, mayo, hot sauce, salt, and pepper in a medium-size bowl. Add the shredded chicken and celery. Fold in the cooked, drained pasta and toss to coat completely with dressing.


3. Spoon the mixture into a serving bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Top with the crumbled cheese just before serving.


What do you think?! Would your family love this as much as mine does? You’re Home with Jill starts tomorrow at 7pm. We’re airing our second pre-produced show, which means I’ll be chatting live—just like last week—for the whole hour. Please join me!


 From my home to yours,
—Jill