This Creamy Macaroni salad is the perfect side dish for picnics, BBQs and social events. This simple recipe calls for cooked macaroni, mayo, cheese, spices and a variety of vegetables.
Its perfect blend of ingredients creates an incredible depth of flavor in each bite. What makes this recipe great is that you can easily customize it to your tastes.
INGREDIENTS FOR CREAMY MACARONI SALAD
2. Red Bell Pepper
3. Carrot
4. Red Onion
5. Celery
6. Salt
7. Mozzarella
8. Mayo
9. Lemon
10. Black Pepper
11. Garlic Powder
12. Granulated Sugar
INSTRUCTIONS FOR CREAMY MACARONI SALAD
1. Boil your macaroni in a heavily salted pot on medium heat for 15 minutes or until al dente.
2. Drain and rinse under cold water. This stops the cooking process as well as get rid of the starch that keeps the macaroni clumped together. Set the macaroni aside in a bowl.
3. Add in your diced celery, diced red onion, diced red bell peppers, carrot and grated mozzarella cheese.
4. In a separate bowl, mix your mayo, lemon juice, sugar, salt, black pepper and garlic powder until well combined to form your dressing.
5. Add your dressing to the macaroni salad and mix until fully coated.
6. Refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour or overnight before serving.
ALTERNATIVES
Lemon – You can can swap this for vinegar or lime.
Carrot – You can use the frozen or canned variety or completely swap it for mixed vegetables.
Red Onion – You can opt for green onion or onion powder.
Celery – You can swap this with celery seed if you want the celery flavor but without the crunch.
Mozzarella – You can swap it with cheddar or any cheese of your choosing or leave it out.
For a protein rich macaroni salad, you can add in some bacon, hard boiled eggs, grilled chicken, shrimp and any other meat variety.
WHAT GOES WELL WITH CREAMY MACARONI SALAD?
1. Hamburgers
2. BBQ Chicken
3. Fried Chicken
4. BBQ Ribs
5. Hot Dogs
6. Sandwiches
HOW TO STORE IT
This Creamy Macaroni Salad will last in the fridge for 3 to 4 days when stored in an airtight containers. For food safety, please discard if left at room temperature for longer than 2 hours.
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CREAMY MACARONI SALAD
Ingredients
- 8 oz (227g) Elbow Macaroni
- ½ cup Red Bell Pepper
- ½ cup Carrot (frozen or canned)
- ¼ cup Red Onion
- ½ cup Celery (1 stalk)
- 100 g Shredded Mozzarella
- 1 cup Mayo
- 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- ½ tsp Salt, plus more for boiling
- ½ tsp Black Pepper
- ½ tsp Garlic Powder
Instructions
- Boil your macaroni in a heavily salted pot on medium heat for 15 minutes or until al dente.
- Drain and rinse under cold water. This stops the cooking process as well as get rid of the starch that keeps the macaroni clumped together. Set the macaroni aside in a bowl.
- Add in your diced celery, diced red onion, diced red bell peppers, carrot and grated mozzarella cheese.
- In a separate bowl, mix your mayo, lemon juice, sugar, salt, black pepper and garlic powder until well combined to form your dressing.
- Add your dressing to the macaroni salad and mix until fully coated.
- Refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour or overnight before serving.
