Our Favorite Macaroni Salad

This macaroni salad is not just our favorite, it’s also the most requested by family and friends! There is never an event where I NOT have this macaroni salad. It’s a staple at every BBQ, every potluck, every summer picnic, or a day at the park. But it’s not just us, my readers have fallen in love with this recipe as well. It brings me nothing but joy to read wonderful comments here and on social media of people who try this macaroni salad and love it year after year!

How To Make This Macaroni Salad

This is a really easy recipe that you can make in 30 minutes. All you have to do is cook the pasta, prep the veggies white it’s cooking, make the dressing, cool, and mix.

1. First: set pasta to cook according to the box instructions and remember to salt the water.
2. While pasta is cooking: whisk all of the ingredients for the dressing together and dice the vegetables and herbs.
3. Cool: When pasta is ready, drain it and let it cool so it’s not scalding hot. 
4. Mix: combine pasta with vegetables and herbs in a large mixing bowl and then, pour in the dressing. Give it a good mix to make sure that all the ingredients are evenly coated with dressing.
5. Refrigerate: Cool mixed salad in the refrigerator for at least two hours before serving. 

Variations and Additions To Try

Ingredients in macaroni salad could truly be endless. I’ve seen some recipe that have everything but the kitchen sink in it, or maybe I just didn’t notice the kitchen sink. In my family, we like to keep it pretty simple to let pasta shine and get some help from fresh, crunchy vegetables and smooth, creamy dressing. 

• Pasta – Choose a smaller pasta like elbow macaroni or ditalini. (I don’t recommend orichette in a macaroni salad because they tend to stick together and don’t mix evenly with the dressing.)
• Vegetables – let’s start with the classics, throw in some red onion, bell pepper, and celery. All three will give the salad a pleasant crunch and a burst of sweetness. If you want more, try adding diced broccoli, peas, or cucumbers.
• Herbs – I like to add some fresh parsley and fresh dill weed as well. You can omit either if that’s the preference but I recommend you try it. You can try adding some basil as well. (If you love herbs, make sure to try my green goddess macaroni salad.)
• Cheese – you can always add some diced cheese like cheddar, or mozzarella. Slice and dice the cheese off the block and make sure the block is cold. Cold cheese is easier to slice.
• Pickles – While I personally feel that pickles overpower the macaroni salad and the dressing flavor, some people do like to add pickles. It comes down to a personal preference whether you want to add sweet pickles or not. If you do, add 1/2 cup of finely diced sweet pickles. (You can also try adding kosher pickles instead of sweet.)

Make Ahead and Storing Recommendation

• Pasta salad and macaroni salads are wonderful recipes to make ahead. I actually prefer to make macaroni salad the night before because all the ingredients have a chance to mix and mingle and marinate with each other. Pasta soaks up all those tasty flavors and tastes so much better a few hours after you make it. 
• Just make sure to keep it refrigerated until you’re ready to serve it. You don’t want to leave a creamy salad out at room temperature for a long time.
• You will also want to either make extra dressing or set some aside to mix in before serving.
• Storing: Store all the leftovers in the refrigerator too. When properly stored in an air-tight container, in the refrigerator, macaroni salad should last 3 to 4 days. 

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More Sides For BBQs To Try

• Family Favorite Pasta Salad
• Southern Potato Salad
• Italian Tortellini Salad
• Green Goddess Macaroni Salad
• Loaded Baked Potato Salad