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Creamy Macaroni salad is all about creamy and tangy mayo dressing! Not overwhelmingly sweet or too vinegary, yet perfectly delicious. Easy to make and with just the right amount of mayonnaise. It’s an easy side dish your family will love in the summer!
Easy American Classic with Mayo based dressing
I used a mix of elbow macaroni, mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard and sugar.This cold macaroni salad recipe is also loaded with crunchy bits of celery and bell peppers. You can and should make it ahead. Because it’s perfect for all sorts of occasions. Whether it is a family dinner, a picnic food, or a potluck.It’s filling, delicious and easy to make. Pasta can’t get better than that!
A perfect cold summer side?
I used to think that macaroni salad was a summer food. And who would argue with the fact that it’s a perfect cold summer side? But at the same time my family loves this classic salad anytime during the year!Why? Because the pasta is easy to work with and tastes great at room temperature.
What can I serve with macaroni salad?
Serve it up with Horseradish Coleslaw and Philly Cheese Steak Sloppy Joes.
Do you rinse macaroni for macaroni salad?
When being used for a cold salad, pasta should always be rinsed after cooking. Why?
- First, rinsing in cold water brings the temperature of the pasta down, which we want since the pasta will be served cold.
- Rinsing also stops the cooking process immediately. We don’t want mushy pasta salad.
- Finally, rinsing also keeps the pasta loose for the salad. If you leave it unrinsed, the starchy coating can make the pasta gummy and clump together. And who wants that?
How do I keep macaroni from absorbing mayonnaise?
Very simple! Chill!Chilling your macaroni andother ingredients before mixing your salad together will help slow the absorption of mayonnaise.
How do I keep macaroni salad moist?
Because it is made of starch, pasta absorbs liquids and starch absorbs water. What I usually do is I toss the pasta with oil will to reduce the absorption. This also coats my macaroni in a water-repellent layer.
Beyond this, I also add lemon juice to my pasta salad which helps with keeping the moisture in.
So easy! Boil and drain the pasta, then toss it in the dressing mixture and refrigerate overnight. Done!
Enjoy!
5 from 2 votes
Traditional Macaroni Salad
Easy and delicious Macaroni Salad
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Cook Time10 minutes mins
Total Time25 minutes mins
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Keyword: macaroni salad
Servings: 6
Author: Olya
Ingredients
- 8 oz elbow macaroni pasta
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 cup bell peppers, (yellow and red, chopped)
- ½ cup celery, (chopped)
Mayo Based Dressing
- ⅔ cup mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons spicy mustard
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, (freshly squeezed)
- 2 teaspoons distilled vinegar, (or apple cider vinegar)
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon parsley, (chopped)
Instructions
Cook elbow macaroni noodles according to your package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Add cooked pasta to a large mixing bowl and drizzle olive oil to prevent pasta from sticking.
Chop yellow and red pepper and celery. Add them to the bowl with macaroni. Set aside.
Mayo based dressing
In a medium size bowl combine mayonnaise, spicy mustard, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, pepper, sugar and whisk well.
Pour dressing over macaroni salad ingredients and toss until combined. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.
Nutrition Facts
Traditional Macaroni Salad
Amount Per Serving
Calories 277Calories from Fat 135
% Daily Value*
Fat 15g23%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Cholesterol 7mg2%
Sodium 214mg9%
Potassium 74mg2%
Carbohydrates 30g10%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 825IU17%
Vitamin C 32.9mg40%
Calcium 5mg1%
Iron 0.6mg3%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only. This information comes from online calculators. Although whatsinthepan.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
