Homemade Macaroni Salad

This easy homemade version of the classic summer salad has crunchy vegetables and creamy dressing. Make it yours by adding some egg, pickle, or anything you like.

Introduction

Classic homemade macaroni salad is a crowd-pleaser at every cookout, potluck, picnic, and family gathering. But the deli version is just OK, not bad, but not outstanding—just one of that mandatory blah side dishes.

Anybody can buy the macaroni salad but take up a few notches and show up with your own version. And as a bonus, you will know what's in it.

You and your family deserve outstanding. So blow that deli macaroni salad out of the water in every way. Great taste from fresh ingredients. Bound to be a new family standard.

Check out other cold summer picnic recipes, starting with Easy 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.

👨‍🍳How to make this recipe

1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Rinse after cooking to prevent sticking.
2. In a large bowl, mix mayonnaise (regular or low-fat), milk, vinegar, mustard, sugar to taste, salt, and black pepper.
3. Finely chop the red onion, celery, and bell pepper (red or green).
4. Mix pasta with the dressing, veggies, and 1 cup of shredded or cubed mild cheddar cheese.
5. Refrigerate for a few hours to blend flavors.

Adjusting the recipe size

This is a basic recipe that will get you started. Add or subtract what you want. Cook some pasta, make a mayonnaise-based sauce, and put in what you like. It is that simple.

My main problem was trying to make it "cooking for two" friendly. I finally decided that it just wasn't happening for me. Cutting it down to the current size is easy, but it will produce more wasted ingredients while simple.

Otherwise, you can cut this recipe in half and make it more "cooking for two." I decided I would mainly use it for gatherings and holiday cooking, so I'm ok with the eight servings.

❓FAQs

Food Safety

This a dish that 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 if you have questions.

This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.

🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions

This is an easy recipe to cut in half. As written, it is 8 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. Rinse the pasta under running water to prevent sticking.

In a large bowl, mix 1 cup mayonnaise (regular or low-fat), three tablespoons milk, two tablespoon vinegar, one tablespoon mustard, 1-2 teaspoon sugar to taste, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper.

Finely chop one small or ½ medium red onion, two ribs celery, and one pepper (red or green). Optionally, you may add 2 chopped hard-boiled eggs or 4-6 chopped sweet pickles and a bit of pickle juice.

Mix pasta with the dressing, veggies, and 1 cup of shredded mild cheddar cheese. Refrigerate for a few hours to blend flavors.

Recipe

Originally Published May 25, 2014. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.