Craving a quick and refreshing side dish that can complement any meal? Look no further than macaroni salad! This beloved pasta salad is a classic for a reason – it’s easy to make, customizable to your liking, and always a hit with the crowd. With a few pantry staples and a few simple steps, you can have a delicious macaroni salad ready in no time. So get ready to elevate your next meal with this quick and flavorful recipe that offers endless possibilities for creativity in the kitchen!
Here are our top 9 tried and tested recipes!
SIMPLE MACARONI SALAD
An easy mac salad that is excellent for parties, picnics and those summer day barbeques.
Provided by Samantha
Categories Salad 100+ Pasta Salad Recipes Macaroni Salad Recipes
Time 2h30m
Yield 8
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente. Drain, and rinse with cold water until no longer hot. Transfer noodles to a large bowl.
- Stir in red bell peppers, green bell peppers, green onions, celery and olive oil. Mix in mayonnaise and soup mix. Refrigerate for a few hours before serving.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 435.7 calories, Carbohydrate 45.8 g, Cholesterol 10.4 mg, Fat 24.5 g, Fiber 2.9 g, Protein 8.1 g, SaturatedFat 3.7 g, Sodium 179.7 mg, Sugar 4.3 g
QUICK MACARONI SALAD
You can't go wrong with this time-tested winner. Here it is pared down for two.-Carma Blosser, Livermore, Colorado
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Lunch
Time 20m
Yield 2 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Cook macaroni according to package directions, adding peas during the last 2 minutes of cooking. Drain and rinse in cold water. , In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Stir in macaroni and peas. Chill until serving.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 276 calories, Fat 15g fat (4g saturated fat), Cholesterol 24mg cholesterol, Sodium 544mg sodium, Carbohydrate 28g carbohydrate (4g sugars, Fiber 2g fiber), Protein 10g protein.
EASY MACARONI SALAD
This hearty pasta salad is sure to please appetites of all ages-and it serves a lot of folks! -LaVerna Mjones, Moorhead, Minnesota
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Lunch Side Dishes
Time 15m
Yield 34 (1-cup) servings.
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Cook macaroni according to package directions. Rinse in cold water; drain and cool completely. , Place in a large bowl; stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 380 calories, Fat 26g fat (4g saturated fat), Cholesterol 102mg cholesterol, Sodium 615mg sodium, Carbohydrate 23g carbohydrate (2g sugars, Fiber 2g fiber), Protein 13g protein.
CLASSIC MACARONI SALAD
This is a salad that everyone seems to love. I always get lots of compliments on this recipe and it is just a pleasing taste that seems to suit everyone.
Provided by Graden
Categories Salad Pasta Salad Vegetarian Pasta Salad Recipes
Time 4h30m
Yield 10
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni, and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Rinse under cold water and drain.
- In a large bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, mustard, salt and pepper. Stir in the onion, celery, green pepper, carrot, pimentos and macaroni. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving, but preferably overnight.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 390 calories, Carbohydrate 49.3 g, Cholesterol 8.4 mg, Fat 18.7 g, Fiber 2.8 g, Protein 6.8 g, SaturatedFat 2.8 g, Sodium 528.6 mg, Sugar 15.5 g
CREAMY MACARONI SALAD
I have looked all over for a great macaroni salad; this one is it! It's easy and is a huge hit at every function I take it to. The sauce for this is a great creamy sauce. I like my salads to have a lot of creamy dressing, so I always make an extra half batch of the wet mix and add it as necessary to get the salad more wet because the pasta soaks up the sauce.
Provided by Mandy Franke
Categories Salad 100+ Pasta Salad Recipes Macaroni Salad Recipes
Time 35m
Yield 12
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- Mix salt, dry mustard, garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, white pepper, and black pepper in a small bowl.
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, 8 minutes. Drain and rinse macaroni under cold water until cooled.
- Whisk mayonnaise, sour cream, and evaporated milk in a large salad bowl until dressing is smooth and creamy; stir in seasoning mix until well blended. Mix macaroni, onion, green, red, and yellow bell pepper, celery, and carrots into the dressing until thoroughly coated.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 341 calories, Carbohydrate 24 g, Cholesterol 18 mg, Fat 25.3 g, Fiber 1.4 g, Protein 5.1 g, SaturatedFat 5.1 g, Sodium 377.4 mg, Sugar 3.1 g
SUPER EASY MACARONI SALAD
This is great for someone with little time and money. I couldn't find anything this simple when I was looking so I thought I would add it. You can add or substitute many different things. My sister puts chopped sweet pickles. My grandma would put cucumber and canned crab meat and shrimp instead of ham.
Provided by Funandsweet623
Categories Ham
Time 25m
Yield 8 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 5
Steps:
- Cook,drain and rinse macaroni and put in fridge while you dice up cheese and ham.
- Mix together cold macaroni, cheese, and ham in a bowl.
- In a separate bowl mix miracle whip and mustard. (If it is too tangy my mom would put a little sugar in it about a tsp.).
- Mix it all together and chill or serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 122, Fat 2.2, SaturatedFat 1.2, Cholesterol 4.5, Sodium 90.5, Carbohydrate 20.3, Fiber 0.9, Sugar 0.5, Protein 4.9
EASY PASTA SALAD
This easy pasta salad recipe doesn't require cooking anything but the noodles. Make use of summer zucchini and tomatoes in this picnic or barbecue side.
Provided by Kelly Janke
Time 35m
Yield 6-8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- Toss 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced, zest and juice of 1 lemon, 1 garlic clove, finely grated, 1 lb. summer squash and/or zucchini, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced crosswise, ½ cup coarsely chopped banana peppers, 3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar, 1¾ tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and ¾ tsp. freshly ground black pepper in a large bowl to combine. Using your hands, gently massage vegetables to soften slightly. Let sit at room temperature, stirring occasionally, 25 minutes.
- Cook 1 lb. orecchiette or other small pasta in a large pot of boiling heavily salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain in a colander, shaking to remove excess water.
- Add pasta, 2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved, 1 cup halved pitted Kalamata olives, ½ cup finely grated Parmesan, and ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil to vegetable mixture; toss well to combine. Add 8 oz. fresh mozzarella, torn into small pieces, 1 cup (packed) coarsely chopped basil, and ½ cup finely chopped oregano and toss gently just to incorporate. Taste pasta salad and season with more salt and pepper if needed.
- Just before serving, top pasta salad with more Parmesan, basil, and oregano. Do ahead: Pasta salad (without toppings) can be made 5 hours ahead. Cover and chill.
QUICK MACARONI SALAD
This recipe is quick and easy, it wont spoil at a picnic, as it contains no miracle whip or mayonnaise.
Provided by carebear68
Categories < 30 Mins
Time 30m
Yield 8-10 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Cook macaroni following manufacture instruction.
- Chop bacon and fry.
- Drain bacon on paper towel.
- Drain cooked macaroni in cold water.
- Add carrots, frozen peas, onion, bacon, cheese.
- Mix well.
- Add vinegar and condensed milk.
- Mix well.
- Chill several hours stirring often.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 945.9, Fat 50.6, SaturatedFat 23.8, Cholesterol 115.2, Sodium 970, Carbohydrate 87.7, Fiber 4.5, Sugar 41.9, Protein 34.8
FAST, EASY, DELICIOUS MACARONI SALAD - EVEN YOUR KIDS WILL LOVE
My father made this recipe for me years ago and I absolutely loved it! I make it for my children and my younger siblings and they all love it too. This macaroni salad goes great with just about any type of meat whether it's grilled, baked, or fried. Also, makes a great snack when you have leftovers and don't feel like fixing anything.
Provided by tifmason
Categories Toddler Friendly
Time 25m
Yield 5-8 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Boil noodles like you normally would do. Until done. Drain the noodles. Put them in a large bowl and put in the fridge to cool. (Faster prep: Run them under cold water until cool then let sit so all of the water will drain).
- Mince pickles and black olives. (Faster & easier prep: Buy dill pickle relish and already chopped black olives).
- Chop green onions.
- After noodles are cool add mayonnaise (more or less to taste) & mustard (optional) and mix together.
- Add pickle, olives, & green onions and mix. (Can use more or less. I personally like a lot of pickles and little onion & olives).
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Put in the fridge to chill. (Sometimes you may need to add more mayo when ready to serve).
- Add the cheese when you are serving. (I let everybody add as much as they want. Makes it fun for the kids).
Tips:
- For the best flavor, use a variety of pasta shapes and sizes.
- Don't overcook the pasta. It should be al dente, or slightly firm to the bite.
- Rinse the pasta with cold water after cooking to stop the cooking process and prevent it from becoming sticky.
- Use a variety of vegetables in your salad. Some good options include celery, carrots, cucumbers, and tomatoes.
- Add some protein to your salad, such as cooked chicken, ham, or shrimp.
- Use a flavorful dressing. A simple vinaigrette is a good option, or you can use a creamy dressing made with mayonnaise or yogurt.
- Season the salad to taste with salt and pepper.
- Chill the salad for at least an hour before serving to allow the flavors to meld.
Conclusion:
Macaroni salad is a delicious and versatile dish that can be enjoyed as a side dish or main course. With so many different variations, there's sure to be a macaroni salad recipe that everyone will love. So next time you're looking for a quick and easy dish to make, give macaroni salad a try. You won't be disappointed!
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