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The Ultimate BLT Pasta Salad

Thanks for sharing!

Perfect for picnics, potlucks and BBQs, this BLT pasta salad has the bacon and tomatoes you’d expect plus spinach more goodies to take it to the next level!

big glass serving bowl filled with blt pasta salad

This BLT pasta salad is full of the bacon, lettuce and tomato flavors that are part of that classic sandwich combination but it also has some extras to take it to the next level. Serve it at your next BBQ, potluck or picnic and enjoy the rave reviews!

Happy Sunday!  As normal, we have been having a fun weekend full of running around outside and playing at the park.   

I really should use the weekend cleaning up the house and getting things done, but there was a little guy who wanted to go visit the rolly slide, so we did that instead!  With Father’s Day coming up, I wanted to share something for my dad.

You would think that would be an easy theme to pick a recipe.  Just imagine your dad’s favorite recipe and make it.

The problem is my dad likes everything.  He really isn’t picky at all and seems to enjoy most anything you could put in front of him.

Ingredients for BLT pasta salad, ready to be prepped.

So I thought long and hard.  I was tempted to do something orange creamsicle related, but I just did an  orange and vanilla no-bake cheesecake not too long ago.

I thought about homemade chocolate covered cherries, but those usually take a couple of weeks and heavens knows I’m not that far ahead of the game right now! (Though I do have a chocolate covered cherry cookie recipe that is delicious!)  I have been wanting to post more savory recipes, so I tried to get my wheels turning that direction.

My dad, like most I think, loves to grill and loves all of the sides you think of when you think of BBQs and picnics.  In fact he loves pasta salad so much the requests it from my mom sometimes.

I dropped by to pick something up once and saw her making pasta salad… for one. She doesn’t eat it and he wanted it so she made him a little bowl of pasta salad.

It was kind of funny to see it!  Now, my husband has a summer tradition of BLTs.  And since he is a dad too, I decided to combine the two to make the ultimate dad’s recipe in honor of them both.

close up bowl of blt pasta salad with eggs and avocados mixed in

But here’s the thing.  I love a good BLT, don’t get me wrong.  But you know what I love even more?

A BLT with an egg and some avocado.  YUM!  So I took all of the delicious parts of my turned up BLT and stirred them in some pasta with a simple dressing that lets all of the flavor of the sandwich fillings shine.

Oh heavens!  I actually used spinach here instead of lettuce, mostly because I had a bunch that needed picked from the garden.  So maybe I should have called this BEAST mode pasta salad?

Bacon-Eggs-Avocado-Spinach-Tomato

Too much?

Probably.  But whatever.  I live dangerously 😉

dinner plate with brat, corn and blt pasta salad.

Silly names or not.  Spinach or lettuce.  No matter what, you owe it to yourself to give this a try.  It would be perfect alongside burgers, brats, fried chicken and would travel nicely in your pick-i-nick basket as well.

So now I’m dying to know. What are some of your dad’s favorite things to eat?

More great macaroni salad recipes:

BBQ ranch pasta salad has it all, BBQ, ranch, tomatoes, avocados, corn and more! It’s perfect for picnics, BBQs, potlucks and more!

All of the flavor of beloved deviled eggs with less pressure to make them look perfect. Deviled egg pasta salad is perfect for picnics, BBQs or just because.

Mediterranean orzo salad combines a hint of sweet grapes with bright lemon juice, savory feta cheese and more.  It is the perfect side dish for grilled meats or seafood.

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a review in the recipe card below!

Yield: 12 Servings

The Ultimate BLT Pasta Salad

big bowl of pasta salad with bacon, spinach, tomatoes, avocadoes and eggs

This pasta salad is full of the bacon, lettuce and tomato flavors that are part of that classic sandwich combination but it also has some extras to take it to the next level. Serve it at your next BBQ, potluck or picnic and enjoy the rave reviews!

Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces pasta, cooked, drained and cooled
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 3/4 cup sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 4 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 pound bacon, cooked crisp and chopped
  • 9 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1/2 pound spinach, roughly chopped (or your favorite lettuce)
  • 4 hard boiled eggs, chopped
  • 2 avocados, cubed

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, stir together mayonnaise, sour cream, garlic powder, salt, pepper and vinegar.
  2. Toss in pasta, bacon, cherry tomatoes, spinach and hard boiled eggs. Stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
  3. Stir in avocados when ready to serve. The avocados actually hold up pretty well in the leftovers. So if you need to stir them in before you are ready to serve, they should be fine. I just like to wait until the last minute if I can and hold off the oxidation for as long as I can!

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 326Total Fat: 24gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 93mgSodium: 519mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 4gSugar: 2gProtein: 12g

All nutritional information is estimated and will depend on the exact ingredients you use.

Did you make this recipe?

I'd love to see it! Share a picture on Instagram or Pinterest and tag me @carleecooks to let me know how it went!

Perfect for picnics, potlucks and BBQs, this pasta salad has the bacon, lettuce and tomatoes you'd expect plus more goodies to take it to the next level!

Thanks for sharing!

Amy

Monday 18th of May 2020

This salad looks so good. I love pasta salad and the blt is just a plus!

Carlee

Thursday 21st of May 2020

The two combined is great!

Ellen

Sunday 20th of May 2018

This will be a perfect side for summer entertaining whether you're serving hot dogs and hamburgers or BBQ ribs and chicken!

Carlee

Thursday 21st of May 2020

It really would be, thanks!

Anonymous

Wednesday 7th of March 2018

Hi there, just wanted to say, I liked this article. It was funny. Keep on posting!

Carlee

Thursday 21st of May 2020

Thank you!

Amy

Thursday 3rd of August 2017

You do live dangerously, don't you!?! I love your BLT in salad form. Thank you for sharing.

Carlee

Friday 4th of August 2017

I'm always finding myself on the edge! ;-)

mommar6

Thursday 4th of August 2016

Congratulations on your virtual blue ribbon from the Country Fair Blog Party! That's a fun one.

Carlee

Thursday 4th of August 2016

Yes it is, thanks!

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