Dinner for 10

Creamy Chicken Pasta Salad

Name: Creamy Chicken Pasta Salad
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 10 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 500 g / 1 lb macaroni / elbow pasta; 1 tbsp salt; 3 cups cooked chicken; 150 g / 5 oz bacon; 2 stalks celery; 1 red capsicum / bell pepper; 2 green onions; 2 carrots; 2 cups shredded cheese; 2 avocados (optional); 1 cup mayonnaise; 1 cup sour cream; 3 tbsp cider vinegar; 1 tbsp dijon mustard; 4 tsp sugar; 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder; 2 tsp salt; 1 tsp pepper

$6.45for 430 minServes 10

Macaroni, chicken, bacon, vegetables, and cheese combine with a tangy mayonnaise dressing for a chilled pasta salad.

Photo: recipetineats.com

What it costs

Pick your city to see which ingredients are on sale

Ingredient	Amount	Cost
	Pasta, 18 oz$0.10/oz typical	18 oz	$1.76Typical price
	Chicken breast, 0.95 lb$3.49/lb typical	0.95 lb	$3.27Typical price
	Bacon, 0.5$6.49 each typical	0.5	$2.86Typical price
	Celery, 0.25$2.29 each typical	0.25	$0.43Typical price
	Bell peppers, 0.4 lb$2.49/lb typical	0.4 lb	$0.93Typical price
	Green onions, 0.25$1.19 each typical	0.25	$0.34Typical price
	Carrots, 0.3 lb$1.09/lb typical	0.3 lb	$0.34Typical price
	Cheddar and shredded cheese, 8 oz$0.30/oz typical	8 oz	$2.40Typical price
	Avocados, 1$1.29 each typical	1	$1.29Typical price
	Sour cream, 8.5 oz$0.14/oz typical	8.5 oz	$1.19Typical price
Total for the servings shown		$16.12

Swaps

Swap chicken breast for chicken thighsabout $1.20/lb less at typical prices
Swap carrots for sweet potatoesabout $0.20/lb more at typical prices
Swap cheddar and shredded cheese for mozzarellaabout the same price
Swap sour cream for yogurtabout $0.02/oz less at typical prices

Pantry staples you likely have

Mustard, mayo, ketchupVinegarSugar and brown sugarDried spices (cumin, paprika, chili powder, oregano)

Not included in the cost.

30 minstart to table
Mediumdifficulty
10servings as written
$typical cost tier

Italian Kid-friendly Budget Family Side dishes Lunches Dinners Back to school Summer

Typical price

$1.61 per serving$6.45 for 4

City Store

Typical price: Salefork's estimate of an everyday US shelf price for each ingredient. Pick your city to price it from this week's ad.

The amounts listed are small for a full dinner, so this price per serving is likely low. Plan on a side or a bigger portion.

Ingredients

500 g / 1 lb macaroni / elbow pasta
1 tbsp salt
3 cups cooked chicken
150 g / 5 oz bacon
2 stalks celery
1 red capsicum / bell pepper
2 green onions
2 carrots
2 cups shredded cheese
2 avocados (optional)
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
3 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp dijon mustard
4 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Steps

Boil the macaroni in salted water for 8 to 10 minutes, drain it, and rinse it under cold water.
Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat for 8 minutes, then drain and crumble it.
Whisk the mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar, mustard, sugar, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
Chop the celery, bell pepper, green onions, carrots, and avocado if using.
Stir the macaroni, chicken, bacon, vegetables, and cheese into the dressing.
Check that the thickest part of the poultry reaches 165 F before serving.
Chill the salad for 5 minutes before serving.

Main ingredient on sale this week? See what to make with chicken breast, boneless on sale.