It will cool faster when it’s spread out in a thin layer. To speed up the cooling process, you can spread the pasta out in a 9×13-inch baking dish. Stir the pasta every once in a while as it cools to keep it from clumping together. To keep the macaroni from absorbing all of the dressing, drain it well and let it cool completely before mixing in the dressing.The cold water rinse stops the cooking process and begins to cool the pasta. After the pasta is cooked, transfer it to a colander and rinse it under cold water.Cook it until it is al dente, which means it is soft but has a very slight bite to it.

Be careful to not under-cook or over-cook the pasta.To flavor the pasta for your salad right from the start, cook the pasta in salted water.That’s it!įollow these tips for the best macaroni salad: The steps to making macaroni salad are: cook and cool the pasta, make the dressing, and mix all of the ingredients together. If you like a really creamy salad, try making 1 1/2 times the dressing recipe. I use just enough mayo to coat the pasta without making the salad overly mayonnaisey. Dressing: My homemade macaroni salad dressing is made with mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, sugar, salt and pepper.My favorite way to cook the eggs for this recipe is to make Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs. Hard Boiled Eggs: I’ve always make my macaroni salad with egg, just like Potato Salad.If you really don’t like pickles, you can leave them out. Trust me when I say they go perfectly in this salad. Sweet Pickles: Sweet pickles are a classic macaroni salad ingredient.Red Onion: A little bit of red onion is a nice contrast to the sweetness from the pickles and dressing.Chop the celery up finely because small bites of celery are best here. You could also use a yellow or orange bell pepper. Red Bell Pepper: A chopped red bell pepper adds color, flavor and crunch.Any short pasta will work, such as elbow macaroni. Pasta: I use ditalini pasta because that’s what my mom and grandma have always used.You’ll find that the ingredients vary slightly between different macaroni salad recipes. It’s a great make ahead side dish!Ĭomplete your summer BBQ menu with one or two of these favorite side dishes: Pasta Salad, Broccoli Salad or Fruit Salad, and you’ll have a meal worthy of any summer cookout! Macaroni Salad Ingredients Macaroni salad tastes even better on the second day, after the flavors have had time to meld together.The dressing has just a touch of sweetness, which perfectly complements the other flavors in the salad.This recipe comes together in 30 minutes, start to finish.It’s a tried and true recipe that’s easy to make, with a delicious crunch from celery and bell pepper. This macaroni salad is a slight adaptation of my grandma’s recipe. This creamy pasta salad is the perfect side dish to serve with Grilled Chicken, Grilled Pork Chops or Slow Cooker Pulled Pork. In the summer, it doesn’t get much better than dinner off of the grill and a side of homemade macaroni salad. This macaroni salad recipe is quick and easy to make with just a few simple ingredients. Macaroni Salad with egg, sweet pickles and a creamy dressing is a delicious side dish that’s perfect for summer BBQ’s and potlucks.

Make your own macaroni