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How to Make Homestyle Elbow Macaroni Salad
This ridiculously good homemade elbow macaroni salad is a crowd-pleaser side dish any time of the year.
Course
Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine
American
Keyword
Macaroni Salad
Prep Time
20
minutes
Cook Time
15
minutes
(Time to Chill the Macaroni Salad Not Included in Total Time)
2
hours
Total Time
35
minutes
Servings
6
Author
[email protected]
Ingredients
For the Elbow Macaroni:
2
cups
dry elbow macaroni
3
dashes salt
For the Dressing:
2
cups
mayonnaise
2
tablespoons
white vinegar
2
tablespoons
heaping granulated sugar
2
teaspoons
prepared yellow mustard
1-1/2
teaspoons
salt
or to taste
1/2
teaspoon
ground black pepper
For the Macaroni Salad:
3/4
cup
chopped celery
(including some of the leafy parts)
3/4
cup
chopped red bell pepper
seeds removed
1/2
cup
chopped sweet pickles
1/3
cup
chopped onion
white or yellow onion
1/3
cup
chopped parsley
curly or flat leaf (including some of the stem)
Dressing
Parsley
for garnish
Light dusting of freshly ground black pepper
for garnish
Instructions
For the Elbow Macaroni:
In a medium to large size pot, add water (2/3's full).
Bring the water to a boil and add salt.
Add the elbow macaroni and stir. Cook until al dente (according to the package instructions; normally about 7 to 10 minutes).
Drain it in a strainer. Rinse the pasta and let it cool completely.
For the Dressing:
In a medium size bowl, add the mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, mustard, salt and pepper.
Whisk together until incorporated. Set aside.
For the Macaroni Salad:
In a large mixing bowl, add the cooled pasta, celery, red bell pepper, sweet pickles, onion, parsley and dressing.
Mix together until the pasta is completely coated with the dressing. Do a taste test and add more salt if needed.
Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving.
Just before serving, stir the salad and garnish with a light dusting of freshly ground pepper and a sprig of parsley.
Video
Notes
TIPS:
Cook the macaroni to al dente (firm to the bite). It adds so much texture to the salad and leftovers last nicely in the refrigerator.
Chill in the refrigerator for a couple hours before serving; it tastes even better when the flavors have time to blend together.
Just before serving, gently stir the salad just in case some of the dressing may have settled at the bottom of the bowl.
Don't be shy with the salt. Just enough salt makes all the difference in the world and really brings out the flavors.