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Creamy Crab BLT Pasta Salad
Sweet lump crabmeat meets crispy bacon, fresh tomatoes, and shredded lettuce in this creamy, chilled dish. It uses a boxed ranch pasta mix as a convenient base, so you'll spend less time in the kitchen and more time enjoying the sunshine. Fresh lemon juice brightens up the rich dressing, balancing the salty pork and delicate seafood perfectly. It's a satisfying bowl that works just as well for a weekend lunch as it does for a neighborhood potluck.
Ingredients
- 1 box Betty Crocker™ Suddenly Salad™ ranch & bacon salad mix
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 3 cans (6 oz each) lump crabmeat, drained, rinsed
- ¼ cup thinly sliced green onions (4 medium)
- 4 slices bacon, crisply cooked, crumbled (¼ cup)
- 2 cups thinly sliced iceberg lettuce
- 2 medium tomatoes, chopped, drained (1½ cups)
Instructions
- 1Fill a 3-quart saucepan two-thirds full of water and bring to a boil. Add the pasta mix and boil gently uncovered for 12 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- 2While the pasta cooks, whisk together the seasoning mix, mayonnaise, milk, and lemon juice in a large bowl. Fold in the drained crabmeat, sliced green onions, and crumbled bacon.
- 3Drain the cooked pasta and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process and cool the noodles quickly. Shake off the excess water and stir the pasta into the crabmeat mixture.
- 4Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour to chill. Letting it rest allows the pasta to absorb the dressing's flavors.
- 5Just before serving, gently toss the chilled salad with the sliced iceberg lettuce and chopped tomatoes until evenly coated.
Notes
- Make ahead: You can prepare the pasta and crab mixture up to a day in advance. Wait to stir in the lettuce and tomatoes until right before eating so they stay crisp.
- Storage: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Swap: If you don't have canned crabmeat, cooked shrimp or imitation crab work beautifully here.