BACON RANCH MACARONI SALAD

Bacon Ranch Macaroni Salad image

Macaroni salad can sometimes be a little boring. So one day I just started adding extra ingredients and this is what I came up with. The whole family love's it! This recipe is even better if served the next day so that all of the flavors are well-incorporated. Enjoy!

Provided by ReneeW

Time 4h40m

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 7

Ingredients

6 slices bacon
1 pound elbow macaroni
1 cup mayonnaise
½ small red onion, diced very small
½ small green bell pepper, diced very small
1 (1 ounce) package ranch salad dressing mix
1 (8 ounce) package Cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes

Steps:

Cook bacon in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat until crisp, about 10 minutes; drain on a plate lined with paper towels until cool. Crumble the bacon.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until cooked through but firm to the bite, 8 minutes; drain.
Rinse macaroni with cold water until cool; drain.
Mix cooled macaroni, crumbled bacon, mayonnaise, red onion, green bell pepper, ranch salad dressing mix, and Cheddar cheese together in a large bowl.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 583.1 calories, Carbohydrate 47.5 g, Cholesterol 47.4 mg, Fat 35.3 g, Fiber 2.7 g, Protein 18.1 g, SaturatedFat 10.4 g, Sodium 735.6 mg, Sugar 1.5 g