You can use all or as much of it as you like. Toss: Add the chopped veggies to the same bowl as the cooled pasta.Taste and adjust with additional salt, pepper, or sugar as desired. You want to be sure to whisk thoroughly as the sugar does take a few seconds to dissolve. Dressing: Combine the ingredients for the dressing in a small bowl using a whisk until smooth.Chop the vegetables and make the dressing while the pasta cools. Drain and rinse the pasta thoroughly, then add it to a large bowl and allow the pasta to cool in the refrigerator. Usually, you need to boil the pasta for 6-9 minutes based on the size. Pasta: Prepare the pasta according to the directions written on the package.It also washes away excess starch, which causes the macaroni to stick together shortly after cooking. It helps to keep the pasta from overcooking as it cools off the pasta quickly. Rinsing pasta, I suggested when you’re going to turn it into a cold pasta salad or some sort. I usually do as a smidge!ĭo I need to rinse the pasta after it is cooked? If you prefer a light kick to your salad, you can add a dash of cayenne as well. Seasonings: I use a dash of garlic powder and celery salt in my pasta salad recipe.We like it with yellow mustard – it just screams summer! If you want the mustard flavor to be a bit milder, swap it for dijon in this recipe. Yellow mustard: this adds both color and flavor to our dressing.White vinegar: I prefer to use white vinegar for this recipe, however, you can swap this for apple cider vinegar if you don’t happen to have white vinegar on hand!.Sugar: Sugar is used to help balance out the flavor from the vinegar.Relish: This is my favorite, macaroni salad secret! I use a few heaping tablespoons in the dressing and I promise you, your guests are going to flip over how good it tastes! I prefer to use sweet relish for this recipe, however, you could also use a spicy relish if you prefer spicer food.Mayonnaise: This is my all-time favorite mayonnaise and I would never make a mayo-based salad without it! I highly recommend using full-fat mayonnaise for this recipe as it’s really the heart and soul of this.They are usually sold where all the other onions are kept at the store but marked as ‘sweet.’ You could use red onions if you prefer a stronger, more pungent flavor. Chopped onions: I like to use sweet onions for this recipe.Chopped celery: Use fresh finely chopped celery so the flavors carry all the way through.Shredded carrots: I use a box grater and finely shred the carrots myself for this recipe but you could also use store-bought matchstick carrots.Or even better, replace with fire-roasted peppers that come in a jar! If you cannot find them, you can replace them with a fresh red bell pepper that’s been finely chopped. They’re usually found in the condiment or pickled pepper aisle sold either diced finely or in strips. Pimientos: are cherry peppers that are sweet and almost like a more flavorful red bell pepper.Some other pasta shapes that would work: ditalini, cavatappi, cavatelli, shells, and farfalle. Pasta: though you can use any small shape of pasta you like, it is usually made with elbow macaroni.It is similar to potato salad and coleslaw and is often served during the summertime for barbecues and potlucks. Usually, elbow macaroni is used and a variety of different chopped vegetables are tossed with it. Macaroni salad is a cold pasta salad made with a mayonnaise-based dressing. It’s perfect alongside grilled chicken, or meats, crispy chicken sandwiches, coleslaw, southern baked beans, and my Hawaiian garlic shrimp scampi. It has it all! There are only a handful of ingredients called for in this recipe, and it’s ideal for bringing to a bbq, potluck, or picnic in the summertime. The most delicious kind of macaroni salad is creamy, tangy, sweet, and crunchy. 😂 I’ve even had people tell me that they’d rather eat a bowlful of my macaroni salad and skip the main dish altogether! Luckily – I wasn’t the one who made the main entree 😉 We’ve taken it bbq parties in the past and have had people request I bring this next time too. I have been making this recipe for years! It’s a staple for me in the summertime. Macaroni salad is quite possibly the most difficult food to picture!īut I’ll tell you this much, what macaroni salad lacks in eye appeal, it makes up for in flavor. My classic macaroni salad is a crowd-pleaser at summer BBQs, picnics, and potlucks! I have been making it for years! It’s got the perfect level of crunch, with tender macaroni, and the most addicting sweet and tangy dressing!

Macaroni salad recipes