This small batch macaroni salad is creamy, classic, and served cold—easy to adjust for two or more. No mountain of leftovers here, just the right amount for a meal or a couple of sides.
Fresh veggies, a tangy dressing, and tender pasta make it taste way better than deli versions. Cook the pasta, chop a few veggies, mix it up, and chill. Backyard food doesn’t get easier.
Jump To (scroll for more)
Featured Comment by Helene :
"This is a great recipe. I made it once exactly as written and it was good. "
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
💛 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Way better than deli salad: Fresher, creamier, and actually tastes like something you want to eat.
- Classic and flexible: A basic cold macaroni salad that’s easy to customize—make it your way with add-ins or keep it traditional.
- Small batch, big flavor: Makes just enough for two, but easy to scale up or down—no mountain of leftovers.
- Simple ingredients: Nothing fancy—just elbow macaroni, a few chopped veggies, and pantry staples.
- Quick and make-ahead friendly: Ready in about 30 minutes and even better after chilling.
🥣Ingredient
- Pasta: Usually elbow macaroni
- Cheese: Typically cheddar
- Vegetables: Red onion, celery, bell pepper
- Dressing: Mayonnaise, milk, vinegar, yellow mustard, sugar, salt, and black pepper
- Optional Ingredients: Discussed below
👨🍳Quick Overview: Making Macaroni Salad
1. Cook the pasta
Boil the pasta according to package directions. Drain and let it cool to room temperature.
✅Pro Tip: Don’t overcook—mushy pasta doesn’t hold up well in creamy dressing.
2. Mix the dressing
Mix the mayonnaise, milk, vinegar, yellow mustard, sugar, salt, and black pepper until smooth. Taste and adjust.
3. Chop the vegetables
Finely dice the red onion, celery, and bell pepper (red or green). Add any extras now if you’re using them.
4. Mix and chill
Combine the cooled pasta with the dressing, chopped veggies, and shredded cheddar. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
✅Pro Tip: It’s even better the next day—let those flavors mingle.
👇For complete step-by-step instructions, scroll down to the printable recipe card or keep reading for tips, flavor options, and serving ideas.
🤔 Optional Ingredients and Variations
Add protein: Shredded chicken, ham, or tuna can turn this into a full meal—great for a light summer lunch.
Cheese swaps: Cheddar is classic—mild or sharp, shredded or cubed. Try Colby Jack or pepper jack for a little kick.
✅Pro Tip: Add chopped hard-boiled eggs to make your cold macaroni salad more filling—rich, protein-packed, and perfect for lunch.
Pasta: Elbow macaroni is traditional, but any short pasta like shells or rotini works. Cook just until done—don’t overcook. Rinse briefly after draining to prevent sticking.
Dressing tweaks: Use regular or low-fat mayo, or swap in plain Greek yogurt for a lighter option. Apple cider vinegar adds a little tang, but white vinegar works fine too
Veggie and flavor add-ins: Mix it up with chopped dill or sweet pickles (or a spoonful of relish), shredded carrots, pimentos, peas, or even a splash of pickle juice for extra tang.
Save this recipe!
Enter your email address and we'll send the link straight to your inbox!
🍽️ How Much per Person
This recipe, as written, makes about 3–4 cups of macaroni salad.
- As a side dish: Plan on ½ to ¾ cup per person
- As a main dish: Plan on about 1 cup per person
↕️ Adjusting the Recipe Amount
This small-batch recipe makes about 3–4 cups of finished salad. You can easily scale it to fit what you need:
- Half batch: Use 1 cup dry pasta for macaroni salad for two
- Double batch: Use 4 cups dry pasta for a larger crowd
- Triple batch: Scale all ingredients evenly—same method, bigger bowl
The recipe card serving slider will adjust the ingredient amounts for you automatically. Just remember the instructions and cooking times stay the same—only the quantities change.
🥣 Cold Macaroni Salad & More Summer Favorites
Cold macaroni salad is a summer must—creamy, tangy, and best served chilled. The deli version? Usually a little stale and a lot mundane. This small-batch version is fresh, flavorful, and made to be eaten—not forgotten in the back of the fridge. Scale it up or down to make just what you need.
If you love easy cold salads for picnics, potlucks, or light lunches, try a few of these favorites next:
- Basic Chicken Salad – Simple and satisfying.
- Chipotle Chicken Salad – A smoky twist on the classic.
- Waldorf Chicken Salad – Crunchy, fruity, and creamy.
- Broccoli Salad with Bacon – Always a crowd-pleaser.
Cold macaroni salad keeps well and travels easily—perfect for summer eating.
❄️ Making Ahead & Storing Leftovers
Cold macaroni salad stores well and actually improves as it chills. You can make it a day ahead and let the flavors blend.
- Storage: Keep covered in the fridge for 3–4 days.
- Freezing: Not recommended—the dressing breaks and the texture gets weird.
- Leftover veggies: Extra chopped onion or bell pepper? Freeze them flat in a zip-top bag for up to 3 months.
❓FAQs
One pound of dry pasta is about 4 cups, depending on the shape. When cooked, 1 cup of dry pasta yields 1½ to 2 cups.
You can, but it’s better after chilling for a couple of hours. The flavors blend, and the texture improves. In a pinch, chill it in the freezer for 15–20 minutes—just don’t forget it.
Macaroni salad is always served cold. This small batch version tastes best after chilling, and the flavors improve as it rests in the fridge.
⚕️Food Safety Tips
If not handled correctly, cold dishes can lead to food poisoning—so follow basic food safety rules:
- If the temp is under 90°F, limit to 2 hours out
- If the temp is over 90°F, cut that to 1 hour
- Or keep it chilled at 40°F or below
Warm-weather parties are prime time for food safety slip-ups, especially with leftovers. Plan ahead and keep it safe. Check out more tips at the USDA Food Safety recommendations.
📖The Recipe Card
Easy Small Batch Cold Macaroni Salad (Creamy & Classic)
Ingredients
- 2 cups macaroni or other pasta - 8 oz.
- 1 cup mayonnaise - regular or low-fat
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- 1–2 teaspoon sugar - to taste
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 red onion - small or ½ medium
- 2 ribs celery
- 1 bell pepper - red or green
- 1 cup cheddar cheese - shredded or cubed
Step-by-Step Instructions
Cook the pasta
- Cook 2 cups of pasta according to package directions. A one-pound box is about 4 cups dry. Drain well, rinse to prevent sticking, and let cool.
Mix the dressing
- In a large bowl, whisk together 1 cup mayonnaise (regular or low-fat), 3 tablespoons milk, 2 tablespoons vinegar, 1 tablespoon mustard, 1–2 teaspoons sugar to taste, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Chop the vegetables
- Finely chop 1 small or ½ medium red onion, 2 ribs of celery, and 1 pepper (red or green). (See post for other optional mix-ins.)
Mix and chill
- Combine the pasta, dressing, chopped veggies, and cheddar cheese. Mix well and refrigerate for at least a few hours to blend flavors.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- This is an easy recipe to scale up or down to suit your needs.
- Use low-fat mayonnaise if preferred.
- A 1-pound box of dry pasta equals about 4 cups.
- This cold macaroni salad tastes best after chilling a few hours or overnight.
- Keeps well in the fridge for 3–4 days. Do not freeze.
- For food safety tips, see the USDA Food Safety recommendations.
- Optional mix-ins include chopped hard-boiled eggs, pickles or relish, shredded carrots, pimentos, peas, or protein like chicken, ham, or tuna. More discussion in the post.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You can adjust the number of servings above; however, only the amount in the ingredient list is adjusted, not the instructions.
Nutrition Estimate (may vary)
Originally Published May 25, 2014. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Monik Muise says
Dear Dr Dan,I will be making this recipe shortly. I have never used apple cider vinegar in my recipes, (don't tell anyone) but I am hopeful that it will taste fantastic with all the other ingredients in that recipe. I will write back soon. ;)
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Monik,
Welcome to the blog.
Apple cider and white vinegar are interchangeable in this an most recipes, but there will a mild taste improvement with apple cider vinegar.
Let me know what you think.
Dan
Davidp says
Dr Dan does it again! Total winner of a Mac salad even though I had to decrease the onion and red pepper down to a third (finicky spouse)
Helene says
This is a great recipe. I made it once exactly as written and it was good. I brought the recipe out for the 4th of July but this time I did tweak it a little by omitting the cheese, adding shredded carrot and diced seeded jalepeno and pablano peppers in place of the green pepper (but still used red pepper). I also (i) made the dressing first and put into the refrigerator. Then I cooked the pasta but this time I did not run under cold water. Instead I drained the water and let it sit in the colander for about 5 minutes. Tossing every once in a while. Then I poured into a large bowl for about 30 minutes, tossing every once in a while with a fork until it came to room temperature. The noodles were sticky but did not clump together. Then finished with the dressing. I found the sticky noodles held the dressing really well. I refrigerated for about 5 hours -- it was delish!
Diana says
Made this for my husband tonight and he absolutely loved it! Thanks so much for the delicious recipe!
DrDan says
Excellent...
Thanks for the note
DrDan
beeyes says
Thanks for the great recipe,Dr Dan! Came out well!
Patty C says
Another winning recipe, Dr D! I made this with Huli Huli chicken - a perfect dinner.
DrDan says
Thank for the comment. I like the chicken combo... I feel a recipe coming soon.
DrDan
Patty C says
Another winning recipe , Dr D! I paired this with Huli Huli chicken, and my family loved it!