Macaroni Salad Recipe
With traditional ingredients and a little bit of sweetness this Macaroni Salad Recipe will be a picnic staple this summer. Easy, tasty and quick!
Prep Time20 minutes mins
Cook Time0 minutes mins
Chill1 hour hr
Total Time1 hour hr 20 minutes mins
Course: Pasta, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12
Calories: 493kcal
- 16 oz elbow macaroni cooked, drained, and cooled
- 8 oz ham steak small diced
- 8 oz sharp cheddar cheese small diced
- 2 cups frozen peas
- 4 hard-boiled eggs roughly chopped
For the dressing:
- 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
- 2 Tbs distilled white vinegar
- 3 Tbs granulated sugar
- 2 Tbs sweet pickle relish
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp yellow mustard
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp celery salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Prepare the main salad ingredients and set aside. In a very large bowl add the mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, pickle relish, onion powder, mustard, garlic powder, celery salt, and black pepper.
Whisk this mixture until combined, set aside.
Add the noodles, ham, cheese, peas, and eggs to the bowl.
Toss to combine until everything is fully coated in the sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Give it a good stir before serving.
- This is a base recipe, you can add or omit ingredients to your liking. I have given some ideas above.
- You can swap out mayonnaise for miracle whip if you are not a mayonnaise fan.
- We do not recommend freezing this recipe.
- You can use any kind of smaller pasta you like, we frequently use rings for this salad.
- Swap out the cheese for others too give it a different flavor.
- Double this recipe to serve more people at larger gatherings.
Calories: 493kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 778mg | Potassium: 259mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 510IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 164mg | Iron: 1mg