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Creamy Smoked Beef Pasta Salad

This creamy smoked beef pasta salad is a new side dish creation made just for my son-in-law. He was my recipe tester and the rest of the family thinks it is a good salad to add to our recipe box.

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Creamy Smoked Beef Pasta Salad
Creamy Smoked Beef Pasta Salad

Recipe Creation

My son-in-law loves bacon and pepper jack cheese. He is always a willing eater of one of my pasta salads. My daughter wants him to eat more vegetables. The challenge was on.

Recently, I purchased a five pound package of thin sliced smoked beef from a smokehouse that we are lucky to live just twenty minutes away. I used a bit for another recipe that is still waiting to be written up for you. it was so good! Two pounds were used in this recipe. I froze the rest for another day.

Anyway, this smoked beef became the inspiration for this recipe.

Smoking meat adds flavor and it keeps the meat nice and tender. Further, it aids in preserving meat for the long haul. This beef has a slightly smoky flavor, tastes a bit like bacon, but has that rich beef flavor. Additionally, the thin sliced beef is very tender.

The smoked beef that I am lucky to get is also sliced thin. which makes it perfect for pasta, sandwiches, salads, or just about anything we can think to add it.

Thin Sliced Smoked Beef
Thin Sliced Smoked Beef

We Love Our Cheese

We love to have cheese in our pasta. At our house, we eat our share of cheese. We were dairy farmers for many years until we sold the cows back in 2010. Therefore, we try and do our part to support the farms that are still operating.

I always try and have some pepper jack cheese on hand for my son-in-law. It has a little bit of heat to the cheese and this will add a nice surprise once in a while when eating the pasta. This had to be one of the cheese options in the salad.

When I taste the beef, it seemed like it would make a great combination paired with Swiss cheese.

Last item that had to be in the pasta salad was a vegetable or two. My daughter works hard to remind her husband to eat healthy and she sneaks it in whenever she can. Therefore, cauliflower seemed the perfect addition as it doesn’t add as much flavor as it does a delightful crunch. Lastly, sweet green peas give a little sweetness to the entire dish.

Oh my! When everything comes together in a new recipe, it is a wonderful thing.

Serving Creamy Beef Pasta Side Dish
Serving Creamy Beef Pasta Side Dish

Cold Pasta Salad

While this is a side dish of a cold pasta salad, it really could be a meal in itself.

Beef Options for Recipe

You may not have a smokehouse close by like I do. There are some wonderful options to use for the beef. I assume that your local deli will have thinly sliced, fully cooked beef sandwich meat. At the local grocer, there are also those dried beef packages of meat for making sandwiches.

For food safety, make sure that the beef is fully cooked. Keep this salad in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Creamy Smoked Beef Pasta Salad Served on a Plate
Creamy Smoked Beef Pasta Salad Served on a Plate
Creamy Smoked Beef Pasta Salad
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Creamy Smoked Beef Pasta Salad

This creamy smoked beef pasta salad is a new side dish creation made just for my son-in-law. He was my recipe tester and the rest of the family thinks it is a good salad to add to our recipe box.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Beef, cauliflower, Cheese, Comfort food, Cream, game day
Servings: 16 Servings
Calories: 389kcal

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Ingredients

Beef Pasta Salad Ingredients

  • 16 Oz. Gemelli Pasta Cooked, drained, rinsed, and cooled
  • 1 head Cauliflower Clean and diced into small florets
  • 13 Oz. Peas Can be fresh or frozen (thaw first)
  • 7 Oz. Baby Swiss Cheese diced
  • 8 Oz. Pepper Jack Cheese diced
  • 2 Lbs. Smoked Beef diced

Salad Dressing

  • 3 Cups Miracle Whip Salad Dressing
  • 3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
  • 1/2 Cup Milk
  • 3 Tbl. Rice Vinegar

text ingredients

Instructions

Beef Pasta Salad Ingredients

  • Cook the Gemelli pasta according to directions. Drain, rinse, and let cool. Set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl add the thawed peas, diced cheeses, diced cauliflower, and diced beef.
    Cold Beef Pasta Salad Ingredients in Large Mixing Bowl

Salad Dressing

  • In mixing bowl, add the Miracle Whip, sugar, milk, and rice vinegar.
    Making Salad Dressing
  • Pour the salad dressing over the ingredients and mix until well incorporated.
    Mixing Creamy Smoked Beef Pasta Salad Ingredients
  • Refrigerate until serving. Enjoy!
    Serving Creamy Beef Pasta Side Dish

Your Own Private Notes

Nutrition

Calories: 389kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 1347mg | Potassium: 440mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 434IU | Vitamin C: 52mg | Calcium: 394mg | Iron: 2mg
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I hope that you liked this recipe. If you are looking for more ideas on what to make, here are a few other recipes that you may enjoy.

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