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BLT Macaroni Salad (+Video)

Corkscrew pasta with a creamy dressing and full of crunchy bacon, lettuce and tomato. The perfect BLT Macaroni Salad recipe!

A SANDWICH INSPIRED PASTA SALAD

When I saw this recipe for BLT Macaroni Salad, I knew that I had to make it! This is such a fun take on pasta salad. It’s a pasta salad that combines the flavors of a classic BLT with creamy macaroni salad. It’s chock-full of crispy bacon, tomatoes, and crunchy green leaf lettuce, plus a tangy dressing. It’s a fusion macaroni salad that takes BLT’s to a whole new level.

Bacon Lettuce Tomato Pasta Salad with creamy dressing

TRIED AND TRUE RECIPES

This recipe comes from my friend Melissa at Melissa’s Southern Style Kitchen and it’s in her new cookbook! Let me tell you what I love about blogger-created cookbooks. They are real and they are personal and they are tried-and-tested recipes. I can tell you that each and every one of these recipes were made in Melissa’s kitchen. She tested and tweaked them and took all the photos herself. They aren’t done by a ghost-writer like most cookbooks are. They aren’t highly produced in a fancy kitchen with an entire team of photographers and camera crew and stylists. They are real recipes photographed and written by the cookbook author!<

Melissa's Southern Cookbook

TIPS FOR MAKING BLT PASTA SALAD:

  • You can use any shaped pasta you enjoy: macaroni, cavatappi, radiatore, rotini, penne and more!
  • Don’t add the lettuce and bacon to the pasta salad until just before serving or you’ll lose the crunchiness.
  • Leftovers can be stored (covered) in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Keep in mind, the lettuce and bacon will turn soft.
  • This pasta cannot be frozen.
  • I like to use cherry or grape tomatoes for this recipe but feel free to chop up whatever type of tomato you enjoy or have on hand.
BLT Pasta Salad recipe from The Country Cook #macaroni #salad #sides #recipes #pasta

INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)

  • cavatappi noodles
  • mayonnaise
  • sour cream
  • sugar
  • apple cider vinegar
  • celery salt
  • garlic powder
  • smoked paprika
  • dried dill
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • green onions
  • Roma tomatoes
  • Romaine lettuce
  • bacon
cavatappi pasta, cherry tomatoes, bacon, green onion, romaine lettuce, sour cream, mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, dill weed, garlic powder, onion powder

HOW TO MAKE BLT MACARONI SALAD:

Cook the elbow macaroni in salted water per the package instructions. Drain well. While pasta is cooking, prepare the dressing.

sour cream, mayonnaise, seasoning in a blue bowl.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, sugar, vinegar, celery salt, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, dill and pepper, to taste.

sour cream, mayonnaise, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder dressing whisk in a blue bowl.

Chop up the tomatoes, green onions, lettuce and bacon.

sliced cherry tomatoes, chopped romaine lettuce, chopped, cooked bacon on a wooden cutting board.

Add the cooked and drained pasta to the bowl.

cooked corkscrew cavatappi pasta, drained, in a blue ceramic bowl.

Stir in green onions and tomatoes.

cooked corkscrew pasta salad, sliced green onion, sliced cherry tomatoes in a blue bowl.

Mix until evenly distributed.

cooked cavatappi pasta, cherry tomatoes, romaine lettuce, green onions, salad dressing stirred together in a bowl.

Cover with plastic wrap and pop it into the fridge to chill.

BLT Macaroni Salad with dressing in a bowl covered with plastic wrap.

Just before serving, add the lettuce and bacon.

BLT Pasta Salad with chopped romaine lettuce and oven baked bacon.

Mix well and serve. Store chilled.

Bacon Lettuce Tomato Macaroni Salad with mayonnaise dressing recipe

CRAVING MORE RECIPES? GIVE THESE A TRY!

BLT Macaroni Salad recipe

BLT Macaroni Salad (+Video)

Corkscrew pasta with a creamy dressing and full of crunchy bacon, lettuce and tomato. The perfect BLT Macaroni Salad recipe! 
4.73 from 40 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 12

Ingredients

  • 16 ounce box elbow or Cavatappi pasta noodles
  • 1 ½ cups mayonnaise
  • ¾ cup sour cream
  • 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons celery salt
  • 1 ½ teaspoons onion powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon dried dill
  • freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 5 green onions, thinly sliced
  • 4 Roma tomatoes, diced
  • 2 cups diced Romaine lettuce, loosely packed
  • ½ pound bacon, cooked and crumbled

Instructions

  • Cook the noodles in salted water per the package instructions. Drain well. While pasta is cooking, prepare the dressing.
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, sugar, vinegar, celery salt, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, dill and pepper, to taste.
  • Add the cooked and drained pasta to the bowl.
  • Stir in green onions and tomatoes. Mix until evenly distributed.
  • Cover with plastic wrap and put it into the fridge to chill.
  • Just before serving, add the lettuce and bacon. Mix well and serve.
  • Store chilled.

Video

YouTube video

Notes

  • You can use any shaped pasta you enjoy: macaroni, cavatappi, radiatore, rotini, penne and more!
  • Don’t add the lettuce and bacon to the pasta salad until just before serving or you’ll lose the crunchiness. 
  • Leftovers can be stored (covered) in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Keep in mind, the lettuce and bacon will turn soft. 
  • This pasta cannot be frozen. 
  • I like to use cherry or grape tomatoes for this recipe but feel free to chop up whatever type of tomato you enjoy or have on hand.
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Calories: 317kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 31g | Sodium: 608mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g

Nutritional Disclaimer

“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

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UPDATED TO ADD: The original post had a cookbook giveaway. That giveaway has now ended.

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Recipe Rating




43 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Love this salad, make it at least 3-4 times a month. The salad dressing is so easy to make with ingredients that I always have on hand and it is amazing!

  2. 5 stars
    Great Salad, couldn’t find smoked paprika used regular was still great. Wii have his more often

  3. 5 stars
    I love this salad! It’s a family favorite. I also add shredded cheddar cheese. just because we like cheese.????. I also sub gluten free pasta for the pasta. Thanks for sharing!!

  4. 5 stars
    I like the New website. Except as a senior the light blue and light grey type is hard to read. Love the recipies.