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close up of cowboy pasta salad with a wooden spoon
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5 from 7 votes

Cowboy Pasta Salad

Cowboy Pasta Salad is always a crowd favorite. It is creamy, delicious and loaded with simple ingredients. The perfect summertime pasta salad.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Servings: 15
Author: Carrie Barnard
Cost: $20.01 Recipe, $1.33 per Serving

Ingredients

For the Pasta Salad:

  • 10 slices bacon cooked crisp and diced
  • 1 pound Ground Beef browned and drained
  • 16 oz pasta cooked and cooled bowtie or rotini
  • 1 can Corn 8.5 oz can, drained
  • 1 can Black Beans 15 oz can, drained and rinsed
  • 8 ounces Cherry Tomatoes halved
  • 8 ounces Cheddar Cheese cubed
  • ½ Red Onion diced
  • 1 Green Bell Pepper chopped
  • 5 Green Onions diced

For the Dressing:

  • 1 cup Mayonnaise
  • ½ cup Barbecue Sauce
  • 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1 Tablespoon Spicy Brown Mustard
  • 2 teaspoons Hot Sauce
  • 1 teaspoon Cumin
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Brown 1 pound ground beef in a large skillet. Drain off any excess grease and allow it to cool to room temperature.
  • Cook 10 slices bacon in a separate pan until crisp, then crumble or dice.
  • In a small mixing bowl, whisk together 1 cup mayonnaise, ½ cup barbecue sauce, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard, 2 teaspoons hot sauce, 1 teaspoon cumin, and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, gently stir together 16 ounces cooked and cooled pasta, 1 pound cooked ground beef, 10 slices cooked bacon, one 8.5-ounce can corn (drained), one 15-ounce can black beans (drained and rinsed), 8 ounces cherry tomatoes (halved), 8 ounces cheddar cheese (cubed), ½ diced red onion, 1 chopped green bell pepper, and most of the 5 diced green onions (reserve some for topping).
  • Pour the dressing over the pasta salad and gently toss to coat evenly.
  • Chill until ready to serve.
  • Serve topped with the remaining green onions and enjoy.

Video

Notes

If you are not serving this pasta salad immediately, wait to add the dressing and bacon until right before serving.  
Refrigerate the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 432kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 358mg | Potassium: 382mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 403IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 138mg | Iron: 2mg
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