Bacon Broccoli Tortellini Salad

Add a big bowl of this Bacon Broccoli Tortellini Salad to your holiday picnic plans.  The creamy homemade dressing, meats, and veggies make this easy pasta salad a hit with everyone.

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I know we all have funny food quirks, but sometimes I just have to laugh at my husband.  He has a hard time eating eggs and drinking milk. Why you wonder?

It's all about where they came from.  The minute he starts thinking about where an egg or milk starts from, he gets totally grossed out.  Our kids think it is hilarious to pour a big cup of milk and then drink it right in front of him.

He also has a hard time with white creamy things.  Ok, so mainly just mayonnaise because he can do sour cream and yogurt just fine.  It's probably because he knows mayo is made from eggs.  As long as I don't tell him there is mayo in a dish, he will eat it.

Although, this Grape Pecan Chicken Salad is one of his favorite summer salads, and he eats it every time we make it.  He even knows there is mayo in the salad.  What a crazy boy! 

We make a lot of different pasta salads during the summer months.  Most of the time we make a big bowl of this Veggie Pasta Salad and grill a huge package of chicken or burgers at the beginning of the week, then dinner is ready to go all week long.

I love not having to think about what we are having for dinner. It gives me more time to think about dessert instead!

Of course, I tend to get bored eating the same thing over and over and over.  After seeing this Sausage Broccoli Cheddar Pasta Salad last week, I decided to make a full meal out of my Broccoli Salad by adding some tortellini pasta and smoked sausage.

Honey and red wine vinegar was a fun way to add a little different twist to the dressing too.

Ingredients for Bacon Broccoli Tortellini Salad:

• Frozen Tortellini, cooked
• Broccoli
• Bacon
• Smoked Sausage
• Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• Mayonnaise
• Sour Cream
• Red Wine Vinegar
• Honey
• Salt and Pepper

One taste and I was in love. I may never make coleslaw dressing the same way again. Since my hubby doesn't like super creamy salads, I never make a lot of dressing for our dishes.   Feel free to make more dressing if you and your family are ok with creamy salads.

Tips for making Bacon Broccoli Tortellini Salad:

Cook and cool the tortellini according to the package directions.  You can make these the night before if you like.  Just drizzle a little olive oil on them before refrigerating them.

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate until right before serving. Whisk together your dressing ingredients and chill them in a separate bowl from the rest of the ingredients.

When you are ready to eat, add the dressing and give it a stir.

Pro Tip: When making this tortellini salad make sure to stir the dressing into the veggies and pasta right before serving.  Since this recipe doesn't call for a lot of dressing, your pasta will soak it up if you make the salad ahead of time, or if you refrigerate it overnight.

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Bacon Broccoli Tortellini Salad

Yield: 1 large bowl of pasta salad

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

A creamy homemade dressing, meats, and veggies make this easy Bacon Broccoli Tortellini Salad a delicious pasta salad for summer picnics.

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Ingredients

• 1 - 19 ounce bag frozen tortellini
• 2 cups chopped broccoli
• 1 cup cooked crumbled bacon
• 1 cup shredded red cabbage
• 12 ounces smoked sausage, cut into slices
• 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• ½ cup sour cream
• 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons honey
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Cook the bag of tortellini according to the package directions. Drain, rinse in cold water, and chill.
2. Stir together the broccoli, bacon, cabbage, sausage, and cheese in a large bowl. Add the cooled pasta. Cover and refrigerate.
3. Whisk together the mayo, sour cream, vinegar, and honey. Chill the dressing until time to eat.
4. Pour the dressing on the pasta salad and stir in right before serving. Season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.

Notes

*If you stir the dressing into the pasta salad and refrigerate it overnight, your pasta will soak up all the dressing.

**If you want your pasta even creamier, whisk together an additional ¼ cup mayo, ¼ cup sour cream, 1 Tablespoon vinegar, & 1 Tablespoon honey.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 476Total Fat: 31gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 78mgSodium: 928mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 2gSugar: 5gProtein: 20g

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