This Easy Macaroni Salad is s small batch recipe with tender pasta, creamy dressing, and crunchy vegetables. Simple to adjustable in size and to your taste.
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Classic homemade macaroni salad is a crowd-pleaser at every cookout, potluck, picnic, and family gathering. The deli version is just OK, not bad, but not outstanding—just one of the mandatory side dishes.
Take your game up a few notches and show up at the party with your fresh version. And as a bonus, you will know what's in it.
This macaroni salad recipe is easily adjusted to a smaller "macaroni salad for two" or double to family size. It's a basic recipe that will get you started—add or subtract what you want.
🥣Ingredient Options
- Pasta—usually elbow macaroni but other small pasta
- Mayonnaise—regular or low-fat
- Milk
- Cheese—usually cheddar, shredded or cubed
- Vegetables—red onion, celery, bell pepper
- Pantry ingredients—vinegar, mustard, sugar, salt, and black pepper
- Optional Ingredients—hard-boiled eggs, dill or sweet pickles with juice, pickle relish, shredded carrots, pimentos, peas, shredded chicken, ham, tuna
👨‍🍳How to Make Macaroni Salad
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions.
- Finely chop the red onion, celery, and bell pepper (red or green).
- Mix dressing of mayonnaise (regular or low-fat), milk, vinegar, mustard, sugar to taste, salt, and black pepper.
- Mix pasta with the dressing, veggies, and 1 cup of shredded or cubed mild cheddar cheese.
- Refrigerate for a few hours to blend flavors.
See photo instructions and the printable recipe card for detailed instructions. Use the jump table above to see more discussion and explanation.
Serving and Related Recipes
Serve with many meals or at picnics but try it with Grilled Boneless Ribs, Grilled Baby Back Ribs, Grilled Burgers, Grilled Drumsticks, or Grilled Chicken Breasts.
Check out other cold summer picnic recipes, including Easy Chicken Salad, Chipotle Chicken Salad, and Waldorf Chicken Salad. For side dishes, try Broccoli Salad, Mango Salsa with Pineapple, and Homemade Guacamole.
This recipe is featured in Memorial Day Recipe Roundup, Fourth of July Recipe Recommendations, and Labor Day Recipe Roundup.
🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
This is an easy recipe to cut in half. As written, it is 4 servings and keeps waste to the minimum.
Cook 2 cups of pasta according to package directions. A one-pound box of pasta is generally 4 cups. Drain well and rinse the pasta under running water to prevent sticking.
In a large bowl, mix 1 cup mayonnaise (regular or low-fat), 3 tablespoons milk, 2 tablespoon vinegar, 1 tablespoon mustard, 1-2 teaspoon sugar to taste, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
Finely chop 1 small or ½ medium red onion, 2 ribs of celery, and 1 pepper (red or green). Optionally, prep 2 chopped hard-boiled eggs and any other options you are adding.
Mix pasta with the dressing, veggies, and 1 cup of shredded mild cheddar cheese. Refrigerate for a few hours to blend flavors.
↕️How to Make Macaroni Salad for Two or Family Size"
This is a very easy recipe to cut in half or double. The full recipe makes about 8 cups for four servings. Perfect for our "for two" household for two meals.
You can cut this recipe in half and make it more "cooking for two." Or double for larger families or "take-a-dish" gatherings
- Use the recipe card and adjust the number of servings to half or double.
- Use the amount of ingredients in the ingredient list, not the instructions—those do not adjust.
âť“FAQs
Classically elbow macaroni is used, but any short pasta will do nicely. Be sure to cook until done but do not overcook. Rinsing after cooking helps prevent sticking.
Depending on the shape, one pound of pasta is approximately 4 cups of dry pasta. Cooked 1 cup of dry pasta will yield about 1 ½ to 2 cups of cooked pasta.
Generally celery, red onion, and pepper. Frozen peas are commonly added.
Common additions are hard-boiled eggs, pimentos, shredded carrots, sliced olives, and pickle relish (or chopped sweet pickles with some juice).
Feta cheese can be used to replace the cheddar cheese.
Meat, like shredded chicken, cubed ham, and tuna, are also frequent additions.
Generally, macaroni salad is good for 3-4 days refrigerated. Freezing is not recommended. But if you have extra chopped onion or bell pepper, they will freeze for three months.
Don't Forget Food Safety
This dish can lead to food poisoning if not handled correctly, so please obey the food safety rules.
Cold foods are safe:
- If set out, then no longer than 2 hours in temperature under 90°F.
- Or 1 hour if the temperature is above 90°F.
- Or you can keep it cool to 40°F or less.
See Summer Food Safety for more tips.
This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.
đź“– Recipe
Easy Macaroni Salad—Small Batch
Ingredients
- 2 cups macaroni or other pasta - 8 oz.
- 1 cup mayonnaise - regular or low-fat
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- 1-2 teaspoon sugar - to taste
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ÂĽ 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
Optional Ingredients—hard-boiled eggs, dill or sweet pickles with juice, pickle relish, shredded carrots, pimentos, peas, shredded chicken, ham, tuna
Instructions
- Cook 2 cups of pasta according to package directions. A one-pound box of pasta is generally 4 cups. Drain well and rinse the pasta under running water to prevent sticking.
- In a large bowl, mix 1 cup mayonnaise (regular or low-fat), 3 tablespoons milk, 2 tablespoon vinegar, 1 tablespoon mustard, 1-2 teaspoon sugar to taste, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
- Finely chop 1 small or ½ medium red onion, 2 ribs of celery, and 1 pepper (red or green). Optionally, add 2 chopped hard-boiled eggs or 4-6 chopped sweet pickles and a bit of pickle juice. Other options can be added at this time, also.
- Mix pasta with the dressing, veggies, and 1 cup of shredded mild cheddar cheese. Refrigerate for a few hours to blend flavors.
Your Own Private Notes
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- This is a very easy recipe to cut in half or double.
- Use low-fat mayo if you want.
- A one-pound box of macaroni is 4 cups dry pasta.
- Good refrigerated for 3-4 days but will not freeze well.
- Tastes better if it spends a few hours in the refrigerator after mixing.
- This one of those dishes that can lead to food poisoning. Please obey the food safety rules. See Summer Food Safety if you have questions.
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
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Originally Published May 25, 2014. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Helene
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
Made this for my husband tonight and he absolutely loved it! Thanks so much for the delicious recipe!
DrDan
Excellent...
Thanks for the note
DrDan
beeyes
Thanks for the great recipe,Dr Dan! Came out well!
Patty C
Another winning recipe, Dr D! I made this with Huli Huli chicken - a perfect dinner.
DrDan
Thank for the comment. I like the chicken combo... I feel a recipe coming soon.
DrDan
Patty C
Another winning recipe , Dr D! I paired this with Huli Huli chicken, and my family loved it!