Recipe: Classic Macaroni Salad

As a kid, I always feared potlucks, mainly because I had this weird fear of eating other people’s food. I’m pretty sure this stemmed from a tragic incident when a family potluck yielded some kind of jiggly mess that had fruit loops and other unidentifiable objects in it. I guess that just burned me.

After that, I always stuck to what the folks I knew brought. It often reminds me of that scene in “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” when Aunt Bethany shows up with the lime Jell-O mold topped with cat food. Ugh! I’ve gotten better over the years, but there are times when I get a little weak-kneed heading into a potluck.

What is Classic Macaroni Salad?

A potluck in the South just isn’t a potluck without a few staple dishes like macaroni salad, some form of congealed salad, banana pudding, probably a cobbler or two and enough casseroles to feed an army.

Macaroni salad typically consists of cooked elbow macaroni pasta mixed with a creamy dressing, which may include ingredients like mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, sugar and various seasonings. My macaroni salad recipe incorporates diced celery, onions and bell peppers. Other traditional Southern macaroni salads may also feature hard-boiled eggs, sweet relish and/or diced pickles.

Classic Macaroni Salad features a creamy texture with tangy and savory flavors. This is a beloved side dish at most picnics, barbecues and potlucks around these parts.

Tips for making the best macaroni salad ever

• Shock the pasta with cold water immediately after cooking. This stops the cooking and washes off the excess starch to ensure the pasta doesn’t stick together.
• To avoid the flavor of your red onion being too overpowering, soak it in cool water for about five minutes, then drain it and add it to the dressing. This will tone down the sharpness of the onion without changing the flavor.
• Add half the dressing first. Then refrigerate before adding the rest of the dressing. This salad is best after it has some time to rest, but as the pasta will continually absorb the dressing, it can be kinda dry once you’re ready to eat. To combat that, I add about half of the dressing, refrigerate and then add the rest of the dressing when ready to serve so you get all the yummy creaminess.
• Taste test and add more salt and pepper. As the salad rests, the flavors will change. As a result, I always suggest that you taste the salad and add more salt and pepper to taste right before serving.

Ingredient FAQs

Elbow macaroni – I suppose you could try a different type of macaroni, but I have always used and loved elbow macaroni.

Red onion – I think red onion is the best choice here because of the flavor and the color, but another type of onion should also work.

Green bell pepper – I like the green one because of the flavor and color. Each color of bell pepper has its own unique flavors, but you’re welcome to use another color. Green, yellow, orange and red bell peppers are all the same pepper. The color just changes the longer it stays on the plant. They get sweeter as the color changes from green to yellow to orange to red – with red being the sweetest.

Mayo – Not just any mayo! You know I’m going to recommend my tried-and-true Duke’s brand mayo. Obviously, you can use another brand, but I never use any other kind. Duke’s is superior in my book.

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Yellow mustard – Not brown or spicy mustard; yellow mustard only, please.

Granulated garlic – Granulated garlic is not the same as garlic powder. Granulated garlic has a coarse texture similar to sand. If you can’t find it, you can use garlic powder as a substitute, but try to use granulated garlic if it is available.

Classic Macaroni Salad

Prep time: 25 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 3 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
• ½ medium red onion, finely diced (about 1 cup)
• 1 rib celery, finely diced (about 1/3 cup)
• ½ green bell pepper, finely diced (about 1/3 cup)
• 1 cup mayonnaise (I like Duke’s)
• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
• 3 tablespoons white vinegar
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon granulated garlic
• ½ teaspoon onion powder

Instructions

• Cook macaroni according to package directions using salted water.
• Drain and run cool water over the pasta until it is cooled.
• In another bowl stir together mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, pepper, sugar, salt, garlic and onion powder.
• Add the onion, celery and bell pepper. Mix well.
• In a large bowl, add the pasta and about half of the dressing and toss to coat.
• Cover and refrigerate the pasta and remaining dressing for at least 2 hours.
• When ready to serve, add remaining dressing and toss to coat.
• Add more salt and pepper to taste.

Nutrition information: calories, 397 kilocalories; carbohydrates, 42 grams; protein, 7 grams; fat, 22 grams; saturated fat, 3 grams; polyunsaturated fat, 13 grams; monounsaturated fat, 5 grams; trans fat, 0.1 gram; cholesterol, 12 milligrams; sodium, 494 milligrams; potassium, 155 milligrams; fiber, 2 grams; sugar, 3 grams; vitamin A, 50IU; vitamin C, 7 milligrams; calcium, 19 milligrams; iron, 1 milligram.

This recipe originally appeared on SouthernBite.com. For more great recipes, visit the website or check out “The Southern Bite Cookbook.”