Sharing is caring!

Sausage Broccoli Cheddar Pasta Salad is a side dish recipe tossed with a creamy, slightly sweet dressing that is perfect for any picnic or BBQ and tastes great every time!

Sausage Broccoli Cheddar Pasta Salad is a side dish recipe tossed with a creamy, slightly sweet dressing that is perfect for any picnic or BBQ and tastes great every time!It’s spring, summer is almost here, and it’s time to eat pretty food! I’ve always been a lover of pasta salads and macaroni salads. They are my jam at cookouts and this Sausage Broccoli Cheddar Pasta Salad is so fresh, tasty, and loaded with so many of my favorite things!

Did you all have a nice Easter? It was 77 degrees here for the holiday which put me in a pasta salad making mood, and a good mood overall, because HELLO…sunshine and warmth. We went to my mom’s place for Easter dinner along with 16 dear (and some crazy, in a good way) family members.

I got to smother my 3 month old niece because it’s what I do best and ate some amazing food. I took this Sausage Broccoli Cheddar Pasta Salad to our Easter dinner kind of on a whim and people kept asking who made the broccoli salad. I made it the night before to let all the flavors come together and YUM. Even the biggest broccoli-salad-snobs might reconsider.

I’m so glad you’re here! Follow along on Pinterest for more inspiration! 

Easy Sausage Broccoli Cheddar Pasta Salad is a side dish recipe tossed with a creamy, slightly sweet dressing that is pefect for any picnic or cookout and tastes great every time!

A major factor in why this Sausage Broccoli Cheddar Pasta Salad was so delish was because I used my all-time favorite all-natural chicken sausage: Zweigle’s!  They are based out of Rochester, so Zweigles is very near and dear to my heart and has been for my entire life (all 21 years, ha ha).

If Zweigle’s had a face, I would kiss it. Should you be lucky enough to live near a Wegmans grocery store, you can find it there under the Wegman’s label.

For this particular recipe I used the Italian variety because I was pairing it with a pasta dish. Anything goes here, though. I think the Chorizo would be delicious!

Just about every single dish you prepare that has sausage in it can be swapped for this chicken sausage to lighten up the dish.  This is perfect for those of you striving to eat healthier and get in beach body shape for summer (myself included – not going so hot so far).

Easy Sausage Broccoli Cheddar Pasta Salad is a side dish recipe tossed with a creamy, slightly sweet dressing that is perfect for any picnic, Memorial day, or 4th of July, and tastes great every time!

Feel free to add tomatoes, red bell pepper, dried cranberries, etc. I wouldn’t change a thing on this recipe as I absolutely loved it as is, but you can add whatever your family likes! It will get quickly devoured and become a summer favorite! Pasta salad should always have a place at the summer grilling table.

Some other pasta salad recipes you might enjoy:

Zweigle's Italian Style all-natural chicken sausage, Rochester NY

Also, you can see the other recipes I’ve created for Zweigle’s using their chicken sausage listed here!

Zweigle's Chicken Sausage Logo

Print
Sausage Broccoli Cheddar Pasta Salad
Author: 
Recipe type: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 25
 
Sausage Broccoli Cheddar Pasta Salad is a side dish recipe tossed with a creamy, slightly sweet dressing that is perfect for any picnic or BBQ!
Ingredients
  • 3 Zweigle's chicken sausage links, Italian-Style or whatever you choose (fully-cooked)
  • 1 lb. tri-colored rotini pasta
  • 1 head broccoli
  • 1 medium red onion, diced
  • 2 cups cheddar cheese, freshly shredded
  • 2 cups mayonnaise
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
  1. Slice chicken sausage links and then chop into smaller pieces.
  2. Cook pasta according to package directions in a pot of salted water.
  3. Drain pasta and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process; set aside in a large serving bowl.
  4. Wash the broccoli and chop into small florets.
  5. Dice the onion and mix the broccoli and onions with the pasta. Add the chicken sausage and shredded cheese to the pasta mixture, mix well.
  6. In a separate bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sugar, and apple cider vinegar.
  7. Pour the mixture over the top of the pasta/broccoli/onions; mix well.
  8. Add salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste.
  9. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Disclaimer:  Thank you, Zweigles, for sponsoring this conversation.  All opinions remain 100% my own, as always.

Sharing is caring!