Anytime I am invited to a dinner party, I look at it as a great opportunity. It’s a great opportunity to try a recipe that I want to try, but know that MY family would never eat. Lat night my friend had a party for her husband who just graduated with his masters degree. So I took this opportunity to make a recipe for Fiesta Chicken Pasta Salad (minus the chicken) that I saw on The Sister’s Cafe from Erin.
I had several compliments at the party on the salad, so it was definitely a success. I was quick and easy to. It would be a great main dish salad with the chicken, but it turned out to be a great side dish by leaving the chicken out. I was different from your run of the mill Italian pasta salad. I loved the southwestern twist. You could even make it with just regular rontini and I think it would be just as good.
Fiesta Chicken Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pkg Hidden Valley Fiesta Ranch dip mix
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 1/2 cup vinegar
- 1 lb cooked, shredded chicken (about 1 1/2 to 2 breasts, but I left this out)
- 3/4 box garden rotini (I used an entire 12 oz box), cooked according to pkg directions
- 1 (14.5 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 can black olives, halved
- 2 –3 tomatoes, chopped
- Frozen corn, thawed (I used 2/3 of a 16 oz. pkg)
Instructions
- Mix dressing mix, oil, and vinegar in small bowl and set aside.
- Combine chicken, cooked pasta, beans, olives, and tomatoes in large bowl. Add dressing and frozen corn about 20 minutes before serving.
- Be sure to toss again just before serving, as the dressing will seep to the bottom.
This is the original photo from this post. The above photo was updated in July 2014.
5 comments
[…] you know Melanie at my Kitchen Cafe, she is related to these sisters through marriage. My posts for Fiesta Chicken Pasta Salad and Crock pot Southwestern Chicken Nachos recipes came from these ladies. They always have awesome […]
[…] Fiesta Chicken Pasta Salad […]
I loved this salad! I had it for dinner one night, then took some with me to work every day until the leftovers were gone, and never got tired of it. I used half of a roasted chicken from the grocery store. I used a can of corn instead of the frozen. Also, I couldn’t find Hidden Valley Fiesta Ranch at my grocery store, so I used half a package of regular Hidden Valley Ranch mixed with half a package of taco seasoning. It came out great! Even my super-picky 6 year old daughter enjoyed it. Thanks!
[…] is an oldie but a goodie.  I shared it during my first year of blogging.  This Fiesta Chicken Pasta Salad is different that your usual pasta salad.  The beans and chicken in this along with the pasta […]
[…] Fiesta Chicken Pasta Salad […]