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Easy Macaroni Salad served at a summer BBQ, a classic side dish bursting with flavors.

Easy Macaroni Salad

A cool, creamy macaroni salad packed with flavor that's perfect for BBQs, potlucks, and family dinners. It gets better after chilling, making it an ideal make-ahead dish.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 2 hours
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 280
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pasta
  • 2 cups Elbow macaroni Cooked until tender, rinsed, and drained.
Dressing
  • 1 cup Mayonnaise Use a mayonnaise you like.
  • 1 tablespoon Yellow mustard For familiar picnic flavor.
  • 1 tablespoon Vinegar or pickle juice Adjust to taste.
  • 1 teaspoon Sugar Optional, just for balancing tang.
Crunchy Add-ins
  • 1 cup Celery, diced For crunch.
  • 1/4 cup Red onion, diced Soak in cold water if too sharp.
Seasonings
  • 1 teaspoon Salt For seasoning pasta water and the salad.
  • 1/2 teaspoon Black pepper To taste.

Method
 

Preparation
  1. Salt the pasta water and cook elbow macaroni until just past al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water.
  2. In a large bowl, mix mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar or pickle juice, and sugar.
  3. Add cooked pasta to the dressing and toss to coat.
  4. Fold in diced celery and onion.
  5. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Chilling
  1. Cover the salad and chill for at least 2 hours (overnight is best).
Serving
  1. Before serving, taste and adjust seasoning with salt or a splash of pickle juice if necessary.

Notes

Macaroni salad is happiest when kept cold. Nest the serving bowl in a bigger bowl filled with ice if serving outdoors.