Southern Macaroni Salad
This Southern Macaroni Salad is the authentic recipe our family grew up eating at every family gathering and potluck. It's easy to make in jusy 30 minutes and great to prep in advance. It's the best side dish that everyone asks for over and over.
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 175kcal
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni pasta about 6 ounces
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon sweet relish
- 1 cup finely diced sweet onion
- 1 cup finely diced celery
- 1/2 cup finely diced red bell pepper
- 1/2 cup finely diced English cucumber
- 3 hard boiled eggs
- 1 cup diced cooked ham optional
Instructions
- Cook the elbow macaroni according to package instructions in boiling salted water until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water to cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, Dijon mustard, and sweet relish. Whisk until smooth. Taste and add salt and black pepper if desired.
- Add onion, celery, red bell pepper, cucumber, and hard boiled eggs.
- Add the cooled macaroni to the dressing and toss to coat evenly. If using, add cooked ham and gently mix to combine.
- Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving to let flavors meld. Serve cold and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Storage:
Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days. When you are ready to enjoy again, just let it sit out at room temperature to take the chill off for 15 minutes or so and toss fresh with a drizzle of olive oil if desired. We don't recommend freezing this recipe since it will change the texture. But it is a great side dish to prep ahead for a party. The day before you can prep out all of the ingredients or even mix it all together to marinate overnight. This makes the day of the event or weekday meals super simple. Tips:
Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days. When you are ready to enjoy again, just let it sit out at room temperature to take the chill off for 15 minutes or so and toss fresh with a drizzle of olive oil if desired. We don't recommend freezing this recipe since it will change the texture. But it is a great side dish to prep ahead for a party. The day before you can prep out all of the ingredients or even mix it all together to marinate overnight. This makes the day of the event or weekday meals super simple. Tips:
- Be sure to cook the pasta to al dente according to the package instructions. This will prevent the pasta salad from becoming mushy once it's dressed and chilled.
- Make it in advance. This is one of those recipes that gets better in flavor the longer it marinates in the fridge. We often make it the night before a big gathering.
- Customize it to your liking. Add more spices, herbs, even different veggies like carrots and sugar snap peas if desired.
- We drain and rinse the macaroni noodles to stop the cooking quickly. This way they also don't overcook from the residual heat of boiling.
Nutrition
Calories: 175kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 57mg | Sodium: 342mg | Potassium: 155mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 330IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg
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