Macaroni Salad

A great summer recipe, our Macaroni Salad is perfect to take to gatherings, parties, BBQ’s, lunches, dinners, or simply to serve as a side dish. Absorbing all of the flavours from the fresh herbs and vegetables, the thick, creamy sauce will be an instant hit with friends and family!

MACARONI SALAD

An absolute classic, macaroni salad is always a favourite at BBQ’s and other get togethers. While store bought macaroni salads aren’t bad, we prefer our salads made with love.

Our easy macaroni salad recipe is made with cooked macaroni pasta, red bell peppers (or capsicum), shredded carrot, red onions, dill pickles, crisp celery and chives. Our heavenly dressing is made with mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar to balance out the acidity.

Like any good dish, we like to make enough for left overs which can be stored in your refrigerator and used as a quick base for proteins like tuna or as a side.

While it might be easier and more convenient to opt for store-bought macaroni salad, making your own salad with fresh, crisp ingredients is much more satisfying!

MACARONI SALAD DRESSING

When making a macaroni salad, it’s best to toss it through plenty of dressing to prevent it from drying out and getting pasty. No one likes a macaroni salad comprised entirely of mayonnaise. So, instead of using only mayo, we add in a bit of sour cream to cut through the fat, making it less oily. You can also use yoghurt or Mexican crema.

WHAT TYPE OF MAYONNAISE? I suggest using whole egg mayo as it tends to be less sweet and is usually creamier than regular mayo.

VINEGAR: cuts through the fat! You can use white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or white wine vinegar. Substitute with lemon juice for a citrusy kick.

DIJON MUSTARD: adds a slight tangy flavour and helps to thicken the dressing.

MINCED GARLIC: completes the flavour profile. You can use garlic powder, onion powder or minced shallots if you prefer.

Like Gordon Ramsay always says: “WHERE’S THE SAUCE?!” Well, we listened and as you can probably tell from our other recipes you know we love drowning our food in sauce. That includes all of our salads. No pasta salad recipe of ours will ever be lacking in dressing!

MACARONI SALAD ADD-IN OPTIONS

Our Macaroni Salad is loaded with flavour and simple veggies. Having said that, there are endless additions that could make your salad even better!

• curry powder
• crispy bacon
• hard-boiled eggs
• ham
• rotisserie chicken
• grape or cherry tomatoes
• sliced olives
• salami
• kielbasa or any smoked sausage

HOW LONG IS MACARONI SALAD GOOD FOR?

Store covered in the refrigerator for up to four days. Take it out of the fridge for at least 20 minutes before serving to get the chill out. It’s best when closer to room temperature or just slightly chilled.

CAN YOU FREEZE MACARONI SALAD?

Absolutely! The day you need to serve it, thaw naturally for a few hours, then toss well.