Pasta Salad Improved- Fiesta Pasta Salad

I have been cooking a lot more than usual lately and I have found some great recipes that I have adapted and absolutely love.  I don't want to forget them and I also want to share these recipes with others because they are so great!  So, I'll be posting a series here over the next few days (or weeks, if I'm being realistic) of some of the things I have made lately that turned out to be better than just a regular 'ol dish.

The first two are pasta salads.  We have had a lot of pot lucks to go to lately, considering it's summer now and I'm always scrambling at the last minute to try to find a good food item to bring.  Normally, pasta salads are just "ok".  They're what I would call "filler" food.  People just make them to add an extra dish to the entree, but they're usually pretty flavorless.  Well, I have found two pasta salad recipes and now I will never need another.  They are SO tasty!  Neither of them contain mayonnaise, so they are fine to serve in the hot weather at a potluck.

The first one is a mexican version.  Just a fair warning, this makes a HUGE batch.  Enjoy!

Salad

1 (1 lb.) pkg. pasta (I usually use bowtie, but any short pasta would work)

1/4 cup or 1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
1 can kidney beans, drained & rinsed
1 can sliced olives, drained
1 pkg. corn, frozen
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
2 Cups cheddar cheese, grated
salt to taste

1.  Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and cool.
2.  Add all of the other ingredients to a (very) large bowl.
3.  Add the pasta to the other ingredients and mix together.

Dressing

1 Cup plain greek yogurt
1 Cup sour cream
1 Cup buttermilk
1 pkg. Hidden Valley Fiesta Dip Mix (if you can't find that, here is a recipe for a mexican seasoning you could use instead).

1.  Mix all ingredients together with a wisk until completely combined.
2.  Add dressing to the salad and mix together.

Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.  Serve with Frito corn chips on top.  Delicious!

I have posted my other favorite pasta salad recipe here.