Buffalo Chicken & Ranch Pasta Salad

I got this idea from Damaris Philips of the Food Network.  Of course, I had to put my own spin on it.

Here is her version:  Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad

She makes a buffalo blue cheese from mayo.  I also like ranch with buffalo wings so I went with ranch.  And I just bought a bottle of Hidden Valley dressing.

Warning:  These measurements are not exact.  I eyeball everything.  You should learn to do that.  Except for baking.  You need to be more exact for baking.

Dressing

• 1 1/2 Ranch dressing
• 1/4 cup buffalo sauce
• 2 Tbl Honey
• 2 tBL Louisiana hot sauce
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper

Marinade for Chicken

• 1 Cup greek yogurt
• 2 Tbl buffalo sauce
• 1/8 tsp salt 
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Chicken

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut up, soaked in yogurt marinade over night
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup Panko bread crumbs mixed with 1/4 cup corn meal
• 3 eggs, beaten

Put the flour in one bowl, eggs in another and breadcrumb cornmeal in another

I learned this trick from Rachel Ray.  Add a little salt to every stage of the dredge mix.  It doesn't have to be a lot, just a pinch or so but it really does season the chicken well.  I also add quite a bit of pepper to the flour

Heat frying pan.  Remember, cold oil, hot pan, food won't stick. Add a little less than an inch of vegetable oil.  Keep on medium heat.

Dredge the chicken first in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs and fry in oil.  Move the chicken around from hottest to less hot parts of the pan (or move pan around) to cook well but keep from burning.  You just get a feel for how long this takes. About 6-8 minutes.  Cut the chicken open to make sure it's cooked.  You'll want to slice it for the salad anyway.  I've had salmonella twice.  You don't want that.

Cool the chicken.

Veggies:

• 2 stalks of celery, chopped
• 6-7 green onions, chopped
• 8 small sweet peppers, sliced

Cook about two cups of your favorite pasta.  I used Rigatoni.  This is my way of cooking pasta that works every time.  Bring about 4 cups of salted water to a boil.  Add the pasta.  Bring to a boil, then turn down fire and simmer for 8 minutes.  


Drain and cool the pasta.  I add salt and pepper.  Pour the dressing over it, then add veggies.  I store the chicken separately and only add it to pasta when I'm ready to serve it. 

You could add crumbled blue cheese to this and it would be really awesome. 

PS.  You could eat this with lettuce and skip the pasta and it's be pretty good.