Everything You Need to Know About Macaroni Salad

Macaroni salad is a type of pasta salad that is usually prepared with mayonnaise. Much like potato salad or coleslaw in its use, it is often served as a side dish to barbecue, fried chicken, or other picnic-style dishes. Like any dish, there are variations according to region and location. Macaroni salad is one of the most classic picnics, barbecue, and cookout side dishes. It is prepared with raw diced onions, dill or sweet pickles, and celery. It is seasoned with salt and pepper.

In this article, we will share with you the right ingredients for macaroni salads, different variations, and how to make sure they stay as fresh and delicious as possible.

How to make macaroni salad

How it works

Macaroni salad starts with a base of one of our favorite budget-friendly ingredients, macaroni. We add a little celery, bell pepper, and red onion for color and crunch, and a couple of hard-boiled eggs to give the salad more heft. All of this gets finished off with a super creamy dressing made with mayo, Dijon, sweet pickle relish, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper. Classically creamy, sweet, tangy, crunchy, and delicious.

Step 1

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook macaroni noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water until pasta is cooled. Drain well. Then toss together cooked noodles with cheese, onion, celery, bell pepper, and peas.

Step 2

While the macaroni is boiling, prepare the dressing. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, red wine vinegar, dill, sugar, relish, dijon, egg, salt, mustard, and bell pepper.

Step 3

Pour sauce over pasta and toss until everything is well coated. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill at least 1 hour before serving. Serve the macaroni salad immediately or refrigerate until ready to eat.

macaroni salad recipe