Bacon Ranch Macaroni Salad

I was craving macaroni salad.  I am the only person in my house who eats it, so I rarely make it.  I decided to try a different version, Bacon Ranch, to see if I can persuade the family to give it a try.  I got the recipe from Pinterest (Pinterest User: LifeInTheLoftHouse.com) and my 10-year-old daughter asked if she could make it.  She whipped it up in no time. She only needed help with boiling the noodles.  She could probably do this part as well, but I have not relinquished boiling or frying to her, yet, for obvious reasons.  I asked my husband to take care of the noodle boiling, and she went from there.

The Bacon Ranch Macaroni Salad was a hit with everyone. We will definitely be adding this to our menu of optional sides, especially when we grill.

Recipe:

• 1 package (12 ounces) tri-color rotini pasta
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 package (1 ounce) dry ranch dressing/seasoning mix
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 cup milk
• 8 slices of cooked bacon chopped (The recipe suggested using pre-cooked bacon, just threw in the microwave and done.  Best advice ever! Also, if you do not eat pork, just skip the bacon. Turkey bacon will not do this recipe justice).
• 1 large tomato, diced (Most of the house does not eat tomatoes, so we left them out).
• 1 can (4.25 ounces) sliced black olives, drained
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (We used ½ cup of cheddar cheese).

Instructions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add rotini pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain water. Rinse pasta with cold water to cool. Set it aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, dry ranch mix, garlic powder and milk. Add pasta, cooked bacon pieces, tomato, olives, and cheese to the bowl. Gently toss to combine everything.
3. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving. (We ate it immediately, and the next day it was just as good).