I don’t mean to brag, but… this macaroni salad is something to brag about! It’s loaded with veggies, sweet pickle relish, and a sprinkle of fresh dill. Plus, it’s lighter on the mayo, so you can taste all of the other ingredients, but it’s still deliciously creamy.
For more macaroni salad goodness, try our Tuna Macaroni Salad.
Why Our Recipe
- Quick and easy—ready in just 20 minutes!
- Light on the mayo so you can actually taste the other ingredients.
- Customize this recipe with our recommended variations and mix-ins.
This macaroni salad has the perfect combo of textures and flavors—it never gets old! It’s creamy, crunchy, and has a soft chew from the cheese with a little pop of sweetness from the peas. One might say this salad not only comes to the party, it’s part of the party. Or, you know, it’s just a really good macaroni salad.
Ingredient Notes
- Elbow Macaroni: Any short pasta like fusilli, penne, or bowtie works well. For a gluten-free version, opt for gluten-free pasta.
- Cheddar Cheese: You can use diced cheddar cheese or pepper jack for a little spicy kick.
- Red Onion: To tone down the bite of fresh red onion, soak chopped onions in water for about 10 minutes before adding. Green onions or shallots are also good milder alternatives.
- Celery and Bell Pepper: Serve as the crunch. Celery is super mild and blends in, and red bell pepper is preferred for the sweet bite, but you could use any color of bell pepper.
- Frozen Peas: The most controversial ingredient in our mac salad. You can skip them if you must.
- Mayonnaise: Use plain Greek yogurt for a lighter option.
- Cider Vinegar: You need the acidity to balance the flavors. White wine vinegar or red wine vinegar could also be used.
- Fresh Dill: While fresh is strongly recommended, you could also use 1 tablespoon dried.
- Sweet Pickle Relish: We like the sweet, but you could also use dill pickle relish as well.
- Dijon Mustard: We like the strong bold flavors of the dijon, but you could also use yellow mustard in the same amount.
Variations
Spice it Up: Looking for a little more heat? You can easily add sliced (or diced) fresh jalapeños. And instead of cheddar cheese, opt for pepper jack for a little more spice. While you’re at it, you can add a dash of hot sauce, too.
Lighten it Up: Use plain Greek yogurt instead of mayo if you’re looking for a lighter option that’s still deliciously creamy. Or, leave out the creamy sauce completely and add 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil for a vinaigrette pasta salad.
Beef it Up: Add a little substance to your macaroni salad with some pre-cooked chicken, diced ham, or even some crispy bacon crumbles.
Mix-Ins: Some great additions to this salad are pickles, cucumbers, or sliced olives. These all pair well with the flavor profile of this recipe.
Chef Tip
Cook your pasta until it’s just barely al dente, and then immediately rinse the pasta with cold water to stop the cooking process. Since the pasta will absorb some of the dressing, it’ll continue to get softer. Cooking just to al dente will avoid that additional softening that goes from soft to mushy quick!
Make-Ahead Instructions
If you make this dish the night before, it does absorb a significant amount of the dressing. Some people double the dressing ingredients when making ahead. The other option is to mix the pasta with all the veggies in a bowl, and keep the dressing separate until ready to serve.
Storage Instructions
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. While you can just put some plastic wrap over the bowl, it does keep better if it’s stored in a separate sealed container.
Freezing is not recommended as it turns to mush upon thawing.
More yummy pasta salads…
This recipe is sooooo good! I had a big pot luck to attend and made it a little larger in serving size by adjusting the measurements. I advise everyone to try this out it’s delicious and perfect balance of noodles to veggies and sauce!
– Katherine
Made this for a get together this weekend. It was a big hit! I made 11/2 times the sauce and it was nice and creamy. Next time I think I’ll l add some diced, crisp bacon before serving. Thanks for the recipe. It’s a keeper!
Looks good and going to make it. But I NEED to make a Gluten free pasta noodle option too. Do you know what gluten free pasta noodle would hold up best?
I know there are so many options on the market nowadays. I’m not gluten-free so I haven’t tested all of them myself so I can’t make a specific brand recommendation.
Elizabeth,
I use Catelli GF pasta, you can’t tell the difference between it and regular pasta.
Even my husband who is not GF likes it. 🙂
When you said, You can make the not creamy sauce, How exactly do you do that? What ingredients instead? Thanks if anyone could give me a answer. I would really appreciate it. I want to make it tonight
The recipe, as written, is light on the mayo so you just follow the recipe as is. If you want is really saucy and creamy, you’d double the dressing.
Delicious! The taste transported me back to summer family meals growing up in the South. As expected, the macaroni wasn’t as creamy the next day but the flavor was still yummy.
Loved the combination of vegetables and pasta, as well as the flavor of the dressing. I doubled the dressing recipe to improve the creaminess.
I made it into a keto way & still taste amazing
I swap 2 chicken breast instead of noodles
& swap broccoli instead of peas the sauce you dont need all of it& left out the sugar you dont really need it it was amazing!
Very good. I just made it; will see if it sucks up the dressing. I made sure the macaroni was cold before I dressed, so hopefully that helps. Hubby liked sweet dill relish and I like dill relish. I made it with the sweet – a bit too sweet for me, maybe I’ll leave out the relish until I serve it for each of our preferred relish.
This is the best macaroni salad just as written. Reminds me of my grandmas.
I am asked to make this all the time.
Yummy!
Wayyyyy too sweet, Im gonna try to make it again without the sweet relish and sugar added. Felt like I was eating candy macaroni. Some people might like it that way though.
I left out the sugar and pickle relish and added a shredded carrot. Nice for those that are watching sugar intake and prefer a less sweet taste. Just a personal preference.