Enjoy the nostalgic flavors of the classic macaroni salad. A staple at southern potlucks, this pasta salad recipe is an easy and filling side dish!
As a kid, I was always scared of potlucks. Mainly because I had this weird fear of eating other people’s food. I’m pretty sure this stems from a tragic incident where a family potluck produced some kind of wobbly mess that had fruit loops and other unidentifiable items inside. I guess that just burned me.
After that, I always stuck with what the people I knew brought with them. It often reminds me of the scene in National Lampoon’s “Christmas Break” when Aunt Bethany shows up with the lime jelly mold with cat food. Pooh! I’ve gotten better and better over the years, but sometimes I get a little weak in the knees going into a potluck.
What is Classic Macaroni Salad?
A southern potluck just ain’t a potluck without a few basic dishes like macaroni salad, some sort of frozen salad, banana pudding, probably a cobbler or two, and enough casseroles to feed an army.
Macaroni salad usually consists of cooked macaroni pasta mixed with a creamy dressing, which may include ingredients like mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, sugar, and various condiments. My macaroni salad recipe includes diced celery, onions, and bell peppers. Other traditional southern macaroni salads may also include hard-boiled eggs, sweet relish, and/or diced pickles.
The classic macaroni salad features a creamy texture with spicy and savory flavors. This is a popular side dish at almost every picnic, BBQ, and potluck in the area.
Tips for making the best macaroni salad ever…
- Rinse the pasta with cold water immediately after cooking! This will stop the cooking and wash off the excess starch to ensure the noodles don’t stick together as much.
- Soak your diced red onions in cold water before adding the dressing! To avoid overpowering the flavor of your red onion, soak it in cold water for about 5 minutes. Then drain and add to your dressing. This reduces the sharpness of the onion without changing the taste.
- Add half of the dressing first. Then place in the fridge before adding the rest of the dressing. This salad is best when given some time to rest, but since the pasta is constantly soaking up the dressing, it can be a bit dry when you decide to eat it. To counteract this, I add about half of the dressing, put it in the fridge, and then add the rest of the dressing when it’s ready to serve to give that delicious creaminess.
- Give it a try and add more salt and pepper! As the salad rests, the flavors will change. So I always recommend you taste the salad right before serving and add more salt and pepper to taste.
Frequently asked questions about ingredients
Elbow Macaroni – I suppose you could try a different kind of macaroni, but I’ve always used elbow macaroni and loved it.
Red onion – I think red onions are the best choice for flavor and color, but another type of onion should work as well.
celery – Not much to add here other than you only need 1 rib or about 1/3 cup of diced celery.
Green paprika – You will need half a green pepper. Again, I like the green for the flavor and color. Each color of pepper has its own unique flavor, but feel free to use a different color. Green, yellow, orange, and red peppers are all the same pepper. The color simply changes the longer it stays on the plant. They get cuter as the color changes from green to yellow to orange to red – with red being the cutest.
mayo – And not just any mayonnaise! You know I’m going to recommend my trusty Duke’s mayonnaise. Of course you can use another brand, but I never use another brand. Duke’s is superior in my opinion.
Yellow Mustard – No brown or spicy mustard, only yellow mustard, please.
white wine vinegar – Any old white vinegar will do!
salt pepper – Yes Yes please!
White sugar – Or “Crystal Sugar” if you prefer that title. 😉
Granulated Garlic – Granulated garlic is not the same as garlic powder. Granulated garlic has a coarse, sand-like texture. If you can’t find granulated garlic, you can use garlic powder as a substitute. However, try to use granulated garlic if available.
onion powder – Any brand or generic will work in this recipe.
recipe card
Classic macaroni salad
instructions
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Cook macaroni in salted water according to package directions. Drain and run cold water over the pasta until cool.
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In another bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, pepper, sugar, salt, garlic, and onion powder. Add onion, celery and bell pepper. Mix well.
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Place the noodles and about half of the dressing in a large bowl and toss to combine. Cover the pasta and remaining dressing and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
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Add the remaining dressing and mix to serve. Add additional salt and pepper to taste.
Remarks
I love the bite of red onions, but sometimes it can overwhelm a dish. Once the red onion is diced, soak in cold water for about five minutes, then drain before adding to the dressing. This reduces the sharpness of the onion without changing the taste.
Nourishment
Calories: 397kcal | Carbohydrates: 42G | Protein: 7G | Fat: 22G | Saturated Fatty Acids: 3G | Polyunsaturated fat: 13G | Monounsaturated fatty acids: 5G | trans fats: 0.1G | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 494mg | Potassium: 155mg | Fiber: 2G | Sugar: 3G | Vitamin A: 50IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 1mg
Please note:
Where nutritional values ​​are given, these are estimates and may vary depending on the brand used. If calorie count and other nutritional values ​​are important to you, I recommend grabbing your favorite brands and entering those ingredients into an online nutritional calculator.
