Homemade "suddenly Salad"

Wildflour's Note:

I used to love that stuff years ago. Here's how to make it even better homemade. (The bacon ranch one.)

• Total Time: 18 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 8 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 2 cups uncooked shell pasta
• 4 -5 peeledbaby carrots, shredded or 1 large regular carrot
• 1 cup frozen peas , thawed
• ¾ cup mayonnaise , more if desired (but NOT miracle whip)
• 0.5 (1 ounce) packet hidden valley ranch dressing mix
• ¼ cup bacon bit (I use Hormel REAL bacon bits or pieces)
• ½ teaspoon onion powder

Directions:

1. In large bowl, mix mayo, dressing mix, bacon bits, shredded carrots and onion powder. Chill while making the rest.
2. Cook pasta according to pkg. directions for pasta using the shortest alotted time. (Or cook al dente.).
3. Drain and cool.
4. Fold in pasta well. Fold in peas last, carefully.
5. Chill for several hours.
6. Serve chilled or room temperature.
7. Refresh salad if needed with a tiny bit of mayo, but it usually doesn't need it.
8. Garnish top with more bacon bits/pieces.

Reviews

[Chef #517198]

I loved this salad even without the carrots and peas!

[Sandylee]

I am not familar with "suddenly Salad", but this salad is really good. I do not buy bacon bits so I used bacon, fried, and crumbled. I used a different brand ranch dressing mix, and only used maybe 3/4 of it. Followed the directions as written. In reading the reviews, I see some added chicken to the salad to make it more of a main luncheon salad.....I will keep that in mind the next time we have a potluck luncheon at work.....but until then, I will file this in my hard copy recipe file and will be sure to make it often this summer. Thanks for posting such a tasty salad.

[Pismo]

This salad was really good! I followed other reviewers suggestions and used just a .5 oz packet of the dressing mix, kept the peas frozen, and used a couple slices of real bacon. It turned out really well except there wasn't as much of it as I thought there'd be. I was planning on making a double batch, but decided to try adding the extra cooked noodles (2 cups uncooked) to the finished batch first to see how it was. I thought that it was even better than before and didn't need anything else! I will definitely be making this again!