We like to say we’ve got the best Macaroni Salad in town! It’s lighter on the mayo so that you can taste everything else that goes into this classic American staple that graces the table of every potluck, barbecue, cookout, and pool party all year long. We’ve got creamy, we’ve got the crunch, and we’ve even got the soft chew of cheese and the little pops of 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.
We’ve got an equally good Tuna Mac Salad for those who roll even bolder, and for those who appreciate our lighter-on-the-mayo approach, you may really dig our version of Potato Salad too.
Why Our Recipe
- Light on the mayo so you can actually taste the other ingredients, including the dressing that’ll leave you wanting to lick the plate clean.
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 mozzarella for a milder taste and fresh mozzarella for a softer bite.
- 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.
Chef’s Secret
The key to making sure your macaroni salad isn’t mushy is to only cook your pasta until it is just barely al dente and then immediately rinse the pasta with cold water to stop the cooking process. Al dente means the pasta should be tender but still firm when you bite it. 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 mush so quickly.
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.
Food Safety
Macaroni salad can sit out for up to 2 hours at room temperature before it should be discarded.
If you serve yours at an outdoor function, make sure to keep it chilled before serving and opt to put it in a shady spot once you’re ready to dig in. This dish can goes bad in the sun much more quickly than 2 hours.
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 of our delicious pasta salads…
Italian Couscous Salad
1 hr 30 mins
BLT Pasta Salad
32 mins
Tuna Pasta Salad
1 hr 27 mins
Cilantro Ranch Pasta Salad
32 mins
Watch the video below where Rachel will walk you through every step of this recipe. Sometimes it helps to have a visual, and we’ve always got you covered with our cooking show. You can find the complete collection of recipes on YouTube, Facebook Watch, or our Facebook Page, or right here on our website with their corresponding recipes.
I loved this recipe!!! However, I made it in the late evening and tasted it as soon as it was done. Amazing. The next morning it did not taste as good to me because it was drier and lacked that full flavor of the fresh dill. Next time, I will opt to make it the day it is used and just refrigerate for an hour as suggested. Just my opinion.
I’ve made this a few times this summer. My family loves it! I double the dressing and omit the dill. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Your recipe calls for a pound of macaroni.
How much of dry macaroni makes a pound of cooked macaroni.
Making this for a BBQ tomorrow. Sounds great!!!
I’m not sure I understand your question. You just use 1 pound of dry macaroni. It’s not weighed after it is cooked.
3 cups
I add diced ham steak to the recipe! Its absolutely delicious!
Hi Rachel, I really like the idea of this recipe. However, not a fan of relish and only like a little dill. Could you use dill pickles cut up in this recipe? I know you should try recipe as written, but I end up not using the things we like and then toss them out sadly.
Thanks for any comments regarding this.
Worth a try!
I noticed in the feed it says to rinse the pasta, your recipe does not.To rinse or not to rinse, that is the question. Thank you.
Yes, rinse or your noodles will stick together.
It does say to drain and rinse with cold water
This is so good! My entire family loves It! Thanks for sharing!
I’m allergic to eggs and was told eggs are in the noodles-is this correct?
It depends on the pasta you buy.
Mayo is made out of eggs
A brand named “Just” is egg-free
Looks nice and am sure will taste good too, will definitely try it,thanks for sharing.
It is a good idea to follow a recipe precisely in order to try something new with an open mind. This recipe is very nice, refreshing and includes lots of vegetables which is always a good thing. Thank you!