Most Amazing Macaroni Salad
My classic macaroni salad is a crowd-pleaser at summer BBQs, picnics, and potlucks! I have been making it for years! It’s got the perfect level of crunch, with tender macaroni, and the most addicting sweet and tangy dressing!
Servings: 6
Calories: 308kcal
Ingredients
Salad:
- 8 ounces dry elbow macaroni
- 1 (4-ounce) jar diced pimientos drained
- ¼ cup finely shredded carrot
- ½ cup sweet onions finely chopped
- ½ cup celery finely chopped
Dressing:
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons sweet relish
- 2 tablespoons sugar more or less to taste
- 2 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon celery salt
- dash of cayenne pepper optional
Instructions
- Pasta: Heat a large pot of water to boil. Generously salt the water. Prepare the pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse the pasta under cold running water. Then add it to a large bowl and allow the pasta to cool in the refrigerator for 30 minutes (or half the time in the freezer.) Chop the vegetables and make the dressing while the pasta cools.
- Dressing: Combine the ingredients for the dressing in a small bowl using a whisk until the sugar dissolves and the dressing is smooth. Taste and adjust with additional salt, pepper, or sugar as desired.
- Toss: Add the chopped veggies to the same bowl as the cooled pasta. Stir in the dressing until well combined. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. The macaroni salad does taste better as it sits! So a few hours is even better!
Notes
- the dressing is just enough for this salad, imo. If you usually prefer a more dressed macaroni salad, I suggest multiplying the dressing ingredients by 1.5 to make a bit extra!
Nutrition
Calories: 308kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 15g | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 9g
