The BEST Creamy Pasta Salad

This is The BEST Creamy Pasta Salad ever, loaded with bacon and cheese! Our favorite side dish for spring and summer, and great for potlucks and cookouts!

Thanks to Tum-E Yummies for sponsoring this post! Don’t worry, all opinions are 100% my own!

Be the first to get new recipes – Subscribe to Back For Seconds by Email

Get my cookbook, Brownies, Blondies, and Bars here!

This creamy, cheesy, bacon-y pasta salad is our favorite! My kids are the ones who chose all the add-ins, so you know it’s kid approved! And as far as I know, anything with cheese, bacon, and pasta gets the thumbs up form everyone who likes delicious food! Perfect for your next cookout!

I am so excited for summer break! The school year is over and I get to have my girl home with the rest of my kiddos for the next couple months. I LOVE when we are all together. I think we should celebrate the start of summer vacation with a cook out! I’ll let my hubby take care of the steaks. He’s the grill master in the family – I don’t even know how to turn the thing on?? (I probably shouldn’t admit that…)

But I will take care of the sides, drinks, and dessert!

Ok, drinks! My kid’s new favorite is Tum-E Yummies. Have you tried it yet? It’s a fruit flavored water beverage. The favorite flavor seems to be Orange-arific with Greentastic Apple coming in a close second. The other 3 flavors are: Very Berry Blue, Fruitabulous Punch, and Sour-sational Raspberry.

All Tum-E Yummies flavors have 100% daily value vitamin C, B6, B12 and only 50 calories, 13g of sugar and no sodium! My kids love having their own bottle of juice in their favorite color. I am just happy they make these with spill-proof sport caps!! I know you moms out there are with me on this one! You can bring them in the car and not worry about juice spilling everywhere!

For the sides this Creamy Pasta Salad is an obvious choice! (side note: The day after we had this salad as a side to our meal, one of my boys wanted to eat it warm for dinner. I added chicken and heated it up and he loved it! So this can easily be the main dish too!)

We love making fruit kabobs for cookouts as well! The kids love anything on a stick, so we just run to the farmer’s market or grocery store and pick up the favorites. Currently strawberries, grapes, and cuties. Just peel the cuties and cut off the stems of the strawberries, then put them on a stick – or better yet, have your kids help with this part!

As for dessert I’m thinking Berry Cheesecake Fluff, or Fudgy Lemon Brownies, or Chocolate Oreo Cupcakes and Cookies and Cream Frosting! I’ll let the kids decide 🙂

Happy summer!!!

For more outdoor celebration ideas, follow Tum-E Yummies on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!

The BEST Creamy Pasta Salad

Print recipe

• Print with main photo
• Print text only

This is The BEST Creamy Pasta Salad ever! The perfect side dish for spring and summer, and it's always a hit at potlucks and cookouts! A family favorite!

Ingredients

Salad

• 16oz small shells pasta (cooked and drained)
• 1 cup tomatoes (seeded and diced)
• 2 hardboiled eggs (chopped)
• 6 medium slices bacon (cooked and crumbled)
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Dressing

• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• salt and pepper (to taste)

Directions

Step 1

In a large bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Add all of the salad ingredients and stir until evenly coated. Cover and chill at least a few hours before serving.