Description

This Quick Taco Pasta Salad is a hearty, flavor-packed dish combining seasoned beef, rotini pasta, crisp veggies, French dressing, shredded cheese, and crunchy Doritos. Perfect for potlucks, BBQs, or weeknight dinners!

Ingredients

For the seasoned beef:

1 lb ground beef
4 tbsp taco seasoning (McCormick’s Mild recommended)

For the salad base:

14 oz rotini (cook al dente)
1 green pepper, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
16 oz grape tomatoes, halved
2.5 cups cheddar jack cheese, shredded
3 cups iceberg lettuce, shredded
1/2 cup sliced black olives

For the dressing and crunch:

12 oz French dressing (such as Wish-Bone)
9.75 oz Doritos, crushed before serving

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Instructions

1. Dice the green pepper and yellow onion, halve the grape tomatoes, and shred the iceberg lettuce into bite-sized pieces. Set aside along with the sliced black olives.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the rotini until al dente. Drain and set aside.

3. While the pasta cooks, brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it apart until no pink remains. Add taco seasoning and 1/4 cup water, stir well, and simmer for 2–3 minutes until thickened.

4. In a large bowl, combine the cooked pasta, seasoned beef, diced vegetables, shredded cheese, and sliced olives. Toss to mix evenly.

5. Pour the French dressing over the salad and toss until well coated.

6. Just before serving, crush the Doritos into bite-sized chunks and stir them into the salad for a crunchy finish.

Notes

Add the crushed Doritos just before serving to maintain their crunch.

You can prep everything ahead of time and refrigerate, but wait to add the chips until ready to eat.

For a spicier version, use spicy taco seasoning or add jalapeños.

This salad is also great served cold or at room temperature.