Classic Macaroni Salad Recipe
Posted November 7, 2023 by: Admin
Macaroni Salad is a quintessential summertime dish, often accompanying BBQ meats, hot dogs, and hamburgers. It’s the ideal creamy and refreshing side dish to delight a crowd.
We love serving this easy Macaroni Salad with Grilled Steak, Juicy Burgers, and Grilled Corn on the Cob, creating the perfect summer menu.
Easy Macaroni Salad
Macaroni salad is a beloved American pasta salad featuring tender pasta, hard-boiled eggs, crisp veggies, and a luscious dressing. It’s served year-round to complement sizzling proteins on the grill or to pair with a picnic sandwich. This is a minimal prep recipe, perfect for hot summer months!
Ingredients for Macaroni Salad
- Elbow Macaroni – Elbow macaroni is the classic choice for macaroni salad, as its tiny crevices capture the creamy dressing perfectly.
- Red Bell Peppers – We prefer red bell peppers for their subtle sweetness, but any color will do.
- Red Onion – Red onion adds a pop of color and strong flavor.
- Celery – Fresh celery contributes the right amount of crunch and texture.
- Hard-Boiled Eggs – You can use premade hard-boiled eggs or follow my guide for perfect-boiled eggs.
Pro Tip: While we recommend bell peppers, red onion, and celery, feel free to substitute with your preferred crunchy veggies, like carrots and peas.
The Best Dressing for Macaroni Salad
- Mayonnaise – Creamy full-fat mayo is the best choice, but you can use a mix of mayo and Greek yogurt for a tangy twist.
- Apple Cider Vinegar – It adds the right amount of tang to balance the mayo’s richness.
- Sweet Pickle Relish – Use the same sweet relish you’d use for hot dogs. Dill pickles can also be chopped up.
- Mustard – Regular yellow or dijon mustard is ideal; nothing too fancy required.
- Salt & Pepper – Season the pasta salad to your taste with salt and pepper.
- Fresh Herbs (Optional) – For an extra burst of flavor and color, consider minced fresh parsley, dill, or green onion.
Pro Tip: Add cayenne pepper for a kick of spice or diced ham cubes for extra saltiness if desired.
How to Make Macaroni Salad
- Prepare the Pasta – Cook elbow macaroni according to the package instructions. Drain and rinse the pasta under cold water, then set it aside.
- Make the Dressing – In a separate bowl, combine all the dressing ingredients and whisk until smooth and creamy.
- Toss the Salad – Place the macaroni, veggies, and eggs in a large bowl. Pour in the dressing, stir to combine, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Chill the salad in the fridge for a couple of hours or serve immediately. Enjoy!
To Serve Make-Ahead
If you want to get a jump on prep, you can make the salad a few hours to a day in advance. Keep it covered in the refrigerator. The flavors will continue to develop as it marinates, so give it a good stir before serving to distribute the dressing.
Common Questions
Why is your salad bland?
If your macaroni salad lacks flavor, you may not have added enough salt or balanced the dressing’s flavors correctly. To remedy this, add more of your favorite ingredients and seasonings until it suits your taste.
How do you fix over-salted pasta salad?
To correct an over-salted pasta salad, cut the sodium with a bit of vinegar. If that doesn’t work, add more mustard or relish.
How do you moisten dry macaroni salad?
If your macaroni salad becomes dry during storage, rehydrate it by adding more dressing. Pasta tends to absorb moisture when refrigerated.
Can this salad be frozen?
Due to pasta’s tendency to become mushy when thawed, it’s not advisable to freeze macaroni salad.
This Macaroni Salad is a surefire crowd-pleaser and a breeze to prepare. We hope it becomes a new favorite for you. If you’ve added a unique twist to your pasta salad, we’d love to hear about it in the comments.
- Cook the elbow macaroni according to the package instructions in salted water. Drain and rinse the pasta under cold water, and set it aside.
- In a separate bowl, combine all the dressing ingredients and whisk until smooth and creamy.
- Place the macaroni into a large bowl. Add the diced bell peppers, red onion, celery, and eggs.
- Pour in the dressing and stir to combine. Garnish with parsley if desired and serve right away or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
