Best Macaroni Salad | Scrappy Geek

A bowl of macaroni sweet salad can satisfy your comfort food cravings!

I almost never appreciated a bowl of cold and delicious homemade macaroni salad. I would always walk past it, but now, I absolutely love it, and so does my family.

Simple macaroni salad is my go-to summertime staple recipe because it is perfect for taking to BBQs, dinners, parties, and lunches. I also serve macaroni pasta salad as a side dish as it kicks up the flavors of the overall dish.

I have tried many versions of easy macaroni salad, but this particular one is my favorite. That’s because it has a perfect amount of creaminess and crunchiness. The dressing uses minimal ingredients but gives out a blast of exciting flavors.

Every ingredient in the bowl, when combined together, creates a perfect blend of satisfying colors and flavors. If you follow my traditional macaroni salad recipe properly, chances are it will become your new favorite dish as well.

This macaroni salad recipe will be a game-changer for all the macaroni packets stored in the back of your kitchen shelf. Now you won’t have to wait for your cheat day to prepare macaroni. Make this easy dish anytime, let it chill in the fridge, and serve in style.

Salad so creamy and macaroni so good, you would want to make it again and again.

Cheesy and Creamy Macaroni Salad

My macaroni salad ingredients include ham, but if you want, you can skip it. Make a 100% vegetarian sweet macaroni salad by adding a variety of crunchy vegetables. The softness of boiled macaroni goes well with crunchy veggies.

Avoid adding wilted tomatoes or dried-up greens because fresh ingredients are the secret to achieving the perfect taste. Your possible veggie options for macaroni salad are bright red cherry tomatoes, cabbage, broccoli, sweet corn, cucumber, bell pepper, and olives.

Add finely chopped baby spinach, parsley, mint, basil leaves, and coriander for a dash of green. Add diced apples and blueberries for a sweet flavor.

Bring the salad on a healthier side by adding chunks of cooked or fried tofu. Or you can

add one whole egg to your mayonnaise macaroni salad.

Here’s how I make macaroni salad with ham. Scroll down to get the recipe.

How to Make Macaroni Salad My Way?

If you try this recipe and love it, please share it with your friends and family members.

It is not possible to mess up a bowl of healthy macaroni salad. But you must follow the steps carefully to replicate the exact taste.

Step One:

To start the process of making macaroni salad, add macaroni into a large pot on medium heat. Give occasional stirs to the pasta so it does not stick together. Once it is cooked to your liking, drain the water and keep the pasta aside in a bowl.

Step Two:

Mix fried onions, diced ham, gouda cheese, and boiled pasta in a bowl. For flavors, add salt and black pepper. Stir the ingredients well. Add a generous amount of mayonnaise, mix well, and enjoy.

Tips for Perfectly Making veg macaroni salad:

The veggies, ham, tuna, chicken, or any other ingredients you add must be the size of the macaroni.
After cooking, rinse the macaroni with cold water to stop it from overcooking. This way, your macaroni won’t get sticky and mushy.
Add a generous amount of dressing to your macaroni salad, as the pasta will soak up some sauce after a while.
To enjoy deli-style macaroni salad with tuna, add extra mayonnaise before serving. It will make your salad more creamy and delicious.

What are macaroni and tuna salad add-in options?

When you prepare macaroni salad my way, it will always be loaded with interesting flavors. But you can add endless ingredients to make it even better. Your possible add-in options include crispy bacon, hard-boiled eggs, sliced olives, chicken, curry powder, salami, cherry tomatoes, and tuna.

What to substitute mayonnaise with macaroni salad?

If you don’t want to add mayonnaise or are simply looking for vegan options, you can add sour cream, greek yogurt, mustard, eggs, olive oil, or hummus.

How long will the best macaroni salad last?

Once you have prepared macaroni salad, try to finish it within four days; otherwise, it will turn bad. For proper storage, transfer the leftover macaroni salad into a container. Before serving, take the salad out of the fridge and let it rest on the tabletop for 30 minutes. Serve at room temperature and enjoy.

Can I make macaroni salad in advance?

If you don’t have sufficient time, you can prepare and keep veg or tuna macaroni salad in advance. In fact, preparing veg or shrimp macaroni salad gives your pasta enough time to soak itself into the flavors of ingredients.

Before serving, you don’t forget to add fresh onions and yogurt to get that extra punch in flavors.

What to serve with macaroni salad?

If you have made macaroni salad as a side dish, you can serve pork, sandwiches, homemade lemonade or fruit salad.

Preparation Time:10 minutes

Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Serving: 4 people

Equipment

Large mixing bowl

Saucepan

Ingredients

10 oz cooked pasta
3 oz cooked ham, diced
3 oz gouda cheese, diced
3 tablespoons fried onions
Salt and pepper to taste
1 ½ cup mayo

Instructions

First, cook the pasta to your liking in a large pot over medium heat.
Then, in a large mixing bowl, mix in the cooked pasta, diced ham, gouda cheese, fried onions, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Stir in the mayo and mix until combined.
Then mix well and serve to enjoy.

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