(low fat, high fiber)

 

Ingredients:

1 12 ounce box high-fiber pasta, cooked however firm you like it

6* pieces of crispy bacon, diced

Leftover bacon grease

3 ripe tomatoes, diced

½ small onion, diced, sautéed in a tbsp.. of the bacon grease

1 bag of lettuce shreds, mixed lettuce, or mixed salad (spinach would also work well)

Bacon bits* - about ½ cup

Low fat ranch dressing – about 1 cup

Salt, pepper

“Pinch” seasoning (McCormick salt-free seasoning) – 1 tbsp.

About 2 cups of 2% shredded cheese (prefer a mix, like Mexican or taco, etc.)

 

Directions:

Drain pasta well; run some cool water through it to cool it down, but make sure it’s still warm. Cook your bacon until crispy; cut in small dice.

Drain and reserve all but 1 tbsp. bacon grease.

Sauté onions in the 1 tbsp bacon grease.

Dice 3 ripe tomatoes – I leave all seeds and juice and skin.

For the bagged lettuce/salad you may need to cut the larger pieces into bite-size pieces.

Mix all ingredients well including the leftover bacon grease.  Salt to taste since the bacon, cheese and salad dressing all have salt.

 

*If you want to do a leaner version, reduce the bacon to 3 slices, up the bacon bits to 1 cup, sauté the onions in Pam, and do not use the bacon grease.  Reduce the cheese to 1.5 cups.  You can also use fat free ranch dressing.

 

Makes about 12 ½ c. servings.

 

Submitted by The Ludwig Family