Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta Salad
Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta Salad, made with bacon, cheese, pasta, tomatoes, pickles–mixed with iceberg lettuce, with a simple dressing.
Friends, this Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta Salad is perfect for a summertime potluck, but really, it’s great any time of the year. Just think of the combo of a cheeseburger and a pasta salad—and you have a great salad.
Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta Salad
I mean, who doesn’t love the comfort of a good cheeseburger, or a cheesy pasta salad? I mean, this salad is good cold, warm, or hot. It’s great for a side dish or a main dish. So many options, and if you love the “cheeseburger” spin, then try my Dill Pickle Cheeseburger Soup! Yes, soup!
Let’s get started:
Ingredients for Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta Salad
- Orecchiette pasta (you can also use mini macaroni pasta)
- Thick-cut bacon
- Lean ground beef
- Dried mustard + red pepper flakes
- Salt and pepper
- Mayonnaise
- Barbecue sauce
- Mustard (optional sweet mustard)
- Worcestershire sauce + hot chili sauce
- Can of sweet corn (or corn cut off the cob)
- Cherry tomatoes
- Shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- Dill pickles, chopped
- Shredded iceberg lettuce
- Scallions, diced
- Fresh basil leaves
TIPS & Variations
Guess what? You can substitute ground chicken or turkey for the beef. Mix up the cheese factor, too, by using cheddar or provolone or pepper jack.
Use whole wheat pasta, or even try chickpea pasta. Or your favorite size pasta!
Red onion lover? Add in chopped red onion.
The burger sauce dressing is fantastic! Swap it out with ranch dressing, if you want.
What else do you love on a cheeseburger? (wink-wink)
How to make Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta Salad
- Cook the pasta (al dente–usually a minute or two less than usual time), and drain and rinse under cold water. Drizzle with olive oil to prevent sticking.
- Bake or saute the bacon.
- Brown the ground beef and season; set aside to cool.
- In a large low-line salad bowl, add mayonnaise, barbecue sauce, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and hot chili sauce; whisk until combined and smooth.
- Next, add in the cooked, drained pasta, bacon, beef, corn, tomatoes, cheese, dill pickles, and scallions. Gently toss the salad ingredients together to coat with dressing.
Optional to eat right away at room temperature, or refrigerate until ready to serve chilled.
Garnish with a few sprinkles of fresh, chopped basil leaves and scallions.
Why we love this salad
This salad is the perfect party salad. If you’re planning a gathering or potluck, this combo is so fun, easy, and delicious.
Well, of course we love bacon and cheese, but the splash of hot sauce really makes the recipe so good!
It’s also perfect for an easy dinner, side dish, summer get togethers, game day, or any time!
More pasta salads recipes to try:
ENJOY!
Get the Recipe:
Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound orecchiette pasta
- 1 pound thick-cut bacon, diced
- ¾ pound lean ground beef
- ¼ tsp dried mustard
- Pinch red pepper flakes
- Salt and pepper
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup barbecue sauce
- 2 Tbsp mustard, optional sweet mustard
- 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 ½ tsp hot chili sauce
- 15 ounce can sweet corn, drained (or about 1 1/2 cups fresh corn cut off the cob)
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 ½ cups dill pickles, chopped
- 2 cups finely shredded iceberg lettuce
- 4 scallions, diced
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
Instructions
- Remove 1-2 tablespoons each of tomatoes, pickles, green onions, and basil, for garnish on top of salad.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt according to package directions. Cook pasta al dente (usually a minute or two less), and drain and rinse under cold water. Drizzle with olive oil to prevent sticking.
- In a frying pan (or in the oven), bake or saute the bacon in a large nonstick skillet, over medium heat, until crispy, about 10 minutes (or longer in the oven). Transfer to a plate with paper towels to absorb the grease.
- In a skillet, brown the ground beef, breaking it into large chunks, and cooking until no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and dry mustard. Drain off fat. Set the meat aside to cool.
- In a large low-line salad bowl, add mayonnaise, barbecue sauce, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and hot chili sauce; whisk until combined and smooth.
- Next, add in the cooked, drained pasta, bacon, beef, corn, tomatoes, cheese, dill pickles, and scallions. Gently toss the salad ingredients together to coat with dressing.
- Optional to eat right away at room temperature, or refrigerate until ready to serve chilled.
- Garnish with a few sprinkles of fresh, chopped basil leaves and scallions.
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
