Turkey Bacon Ranch Tortellini Salad

This turkey bacon ranch tortellini salad is a cold lunch that feels like a treat, with cheese tortellini, lots of turkey, crisp bacon and vegetables in a lighter Greek yogurt ranch. Keep the components separate and everyone builds their own bowl, or toss it all together for the week.

Components for turkey bacon ranch tortellini salad: cheese tortellini, shredded carrots, diced turkey, peas, Greek yogurt ranch, broccoli and crisp bacon in separate glass containers

Serves: 4

Time: 30 minutes, plus chilling

Ingredients

Salad

• 12 ounces cheese tortellini

• 12 ounces cooked turkey breast, diced

• 5 slices bacon, cooked crisp and chopped

• 1 1/2 cups small broccoli florets, lightly blanched

• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed

• 1/2 cup shredded carrots

Healthier Ranch Dressing

• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise

• 2 tablespoons milk, plus more as needed

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon dried dill

• 1 teaspoon dried parsley

• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Steps

1. Cook the tortellini according to package directions just until al dente. Drain and rinse briefly under cold water. Drain very well and cool completely.

2. Whisk the Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, milk, lemon juice, dill, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper until smooth. Add another splash of milk if needed to make a creamy but pourable dressing.

3. Combine the cooled tortellini, turkey, bacon, broccoli, peas and carrots. Add enough dressing to lightly coat everything and toss gently.

4. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Reserve a little dressing to refresh the salad before serving if desired.

5. Pack a generous amount of turkey relative to tortellini for extra protein.

Serving

Serve chilled. Keep refrigerated or packed with an ice pack until lunch.

Build Your Plate

• Lighter: extra turkey, broccoli and peas with a small scoop of tortellini.

• Bigger appetites: a full scoop of tortellini, extra turkey and extra bacon.

• Picky eaters: plain tortellini and turkey with ranch on the side for dipping, and vegetables they choose.

• Richer: a handful of shredded cheddar or a few extra slices of bacon.

LeftoversKeeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge. If you store the components separately, add the bacon at the last minute so it stays crisp. Later in the week, roll the turkey, bacon and ranch into a wrap with shredded carrots, or use the ranch as a dip for raw vegetables.