BBQ Chicken Southwest Pasta Salad

It has been extremely hot where I live and the thought of cooking for a long time in a hot kitchen is just not appealing to me right now. I've been doing a lot of simple meals and some nights we just make deli sandwiches on my homemade wheat bread. This bbq chicken pasta salad is a great meal when you want something filling and hearty but don't want a hot meal. You won't be disappointed in this dish. I am making this dish for a 4th of July potluck next week and I know it will be a huge hit.

I've changed a few things from the original recipe. Instead of using mayo, I use nonfat plain greek yogurt. You can't even tell the difference. I also use whole grain pasta shells to incorporate the use of whole grains. The last thing I change is that I use light ranch dressing instead of the full fat kind. If you are taking this to a potluck event, I would suggest you double the ingredients for a really large batch.

BBQ Chicken Southwest Pasta Salad
Adapted by: http://www.you-made-that.com/bbq-chicken-southwest-pasta-salad/

Ingredients
3 cups uncooked pasta shells
1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed
1/2 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
green onions or red onions, chopped (I use red onions; about 1/3 cup diced)
8 slices center-cut bacon, cooked and chopped
2 chicken breasts, grilled and chopped bite-size
1/4 cup bbq sauce
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
1/4 cup ranch dressing

Directions
-Wash and prepare all the vegetables.
-Cook the bacon in a skillet and drain off any grease. Chop up and set aside.
-Grill chicken breasts and cut into bite-size pieces. Make sure to season with salt and pepper before grilling.
-Boil water in a stockpot and add pasta. Cook according to instructions on the package. Drain and set aside. You want the pasta to be very cool before you start adding the ingredients to it. If you don't do this, the pasta will soak up the liquid ingredients and your pasta salad will be dry. If the pasta salad is a little dry, try adding additional bbq sauce, yogurt, and ranch dressing.
-In a small bowl, combine the bbq sauce, greek yogurt and ranch dressing.
-In a medium bowl, combine all the veggies.
-In a large bowl, put the cooled pasta in it and add the veggies, chicken, bacon, and the sauce. Stir the salad until all combined. 
-Cover the dish and refrigerate for a few hours before serving.

Enjoy! :)