Step #2 After draining pasta in colander, rinse the pasta in cold water to cool off.
Step #3 Once drained & cooled, sprinkle with Spice up Salt, to taste.
Step #4 (I use Tastefully Simple but I am sure other brands would work as well).
Step #5 Fry bacon on stovetop.
Step #6 Once crisp, pat to remove excess oil & crumble.
Step #7 If using chicken, boil chicken to cook.
Step #8 Once cooked through, chop into small pieces.
Step #9 Please note: I do not often use chicken but, when I do I use a small breast or 1/2 of a breast.
Step #10 Combine all ingredients In a large-ish bowl & toss.
Step #11 Although I do not use salad dressing, my family uses a light vinigrette (their current favorite is sun-dried tomato) as a dressing with the salad.
Step #12 Also, ingredients can be removed or their amounts adjusted to meet the tastes of people eating the salad although the basic ingredients remain the same.
Enjoy the Chopped Salad (Soon to Be Famous) recipe