As summer approaches, I get super excited for all the backyard barbecues and outdoor potlucks. After a few parties, though, I find myself stuck in a rut, bringing the same old side dishes party after party. Even though no one is complaining, I feel predictable! So I started looking for some fun and funky side dishes, and came up with the recipe below.
This recipe is definitely a crowd pleaser. It really amps up pasta salad by filling it with seasoned meat, enough to satisfy even the toughest cowboy carnivores at the party. Add in some cooked pasta, a ton of cheese, corn and fresh herbs, and you have a perfectly unique pasta salad for backyard get-togethers. But don’t take my word for it: Give this recipe a try and wait for the kudos to start rolling in.
How to make Southern Cowboy pasta salad with ground turkey
8-10
15 minutes
10 minutes
25 minutes
1 16-ounce box macaroni or mini pasta shells
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 pound ground turkey
1 1 1/4-ounce envelope taco seasoning
1 10 ounce can tomato sauce
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Cholula hot sauce
2 cups frozen corn, thawed
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 green onions, roughly chopped
Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain well and rinse under cold, running water. Drizzle with the olive oil and set aside to cool completely.
Meanwhile, cook the ground turkey in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When the turkey is browned all the way through, about 5 minutes, add the taco seasoning and tomato sauce.
Simmer the turkey mixture until it is well-combined and slightly thickened, another 5 minutes.
Remove the turkey from the heat and stir in the mayonnaise, hot sauce, corn and tomatoes.
Add the cooked pasta to the turkey mix along with the cheese, cilantro and green onions. Stir until everything is well-combined.
Place the pasta salad in the refrigerator until you're ready to serve.