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I always prefer sweet onions and ALOT of chopped boiled eggs in mine but that idea of adding Tuna to it sounds really good, it would make it more nutritious.
I just decided what I am taking to the Christmas party on Christmas Eve for 30 people and want to share the recipe with all of our posters. This is my mother's macaroni salad recipe and it is definitely my favorite. (I'll double this for the party and I want some leftovers!). Pound box of macaroni, three hard boiled eggs, two to three small Kirby cucumbers (depends on size), large bell pepper, one stalk of celery, one medium sized jar of pimentoes, three to four tablespoons of mayonnaise, salt and pepper to taste, paprika (optional). Cook macaroni according to package directions and drain well. Chill. Boil eggs, peel and chill. Drain pimentoes well and pat dry with a paper towel. (I save the juice and combine it with cream cheese and salt and pepper for a dip. I have made little sandwiches with this or you could stuff celery with it). The small Kirby cucumbers are the best. Leave the peel on and chop into a small dice. Dice green pepper. String celery and dice. Chop the eggs into a medium dice. Place the first six ingredients in a large bowl. Add three tablespoons of mayonnaise and fold gently. Add salt and pepper and check the consistency. Add the remaining mayonnaise if you think the salad needs it. The key to this salad is having all of the ingredients cold and the salad well chilled. I always make it the day before. If you have to make it the same day you are serving, I would make it very early in the morning and pack a lot of ice around the bowl while it is chilling in the refrigerator. Just before serving sprinkle paprika on top. (Sometimes I leave out the paprika and pimentoes, but they are really pretty at Christmas).
Here's my favorite macaroni salad recipe, please share yours.
3 cups of uncooked macaroni - cook and cool
onion minced - amount to your individual taste
6-8 slices of boiled ham - chopped
3/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
4 tsp sweet relish
1 1/2 stalks of celery - chopped
Mix all of the above together in a large bowl. In smaller bowl mix together the following items for the sauce.
Sauce:
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup of mayo
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 cup of milk
2 T yellow mustard
Mix until smooth and add to macaroni mixture. Cool before serving.
It's very easy to adjust this recipe to fit your own personal tastes. I don't like my salad to be quite as "wet" so I reduce the amount of mayo that I use. I also use extra ham
1 pound of cooked macaroni.
Chopped onion.
Mayo to desired consistancy.
Diced cucumber and tomato.
A few splashes of zesty Italian dressing.
Shredded Chicken or tuna is optional
I like Marzetti Slaw Dressing for macaroni and potato salads. If it's too spicy or too thin for you, try a half-and-half mixture with Miracle Whip (not mayo). People love my mother's potato salad and that's her secret. She doesn't even use celery or salt and pepper! -- just potatoes (she prefers yellow ones); chopped, hard-boiled eggs, and the half-and-half dressing. It sounds shockingly boring, but people just LOVE it. Everyone asks for the recipe and she's embarrassed to tell them.
If you are going to make a salad using mayo, try making the mayo from scratch. It's really easy (oil, eggs, vinegar/lemon juice & seasonings), plenty of recipes on the net. You will really cut the sodium, and end up with a somewhat "healthy" salad.
Cooked macaroni + Miracle Whip Dressing is fine for me.
A little cheese thrown in is icing on the cake, so to speak, but not necesssary. Same for boiled eggs.
The worst thing you can do is ruin the texture with anything CRUNCHY. Yuck.
20yrsinBranson
I'm your opposite. I love crunch and hate mushy food and miracle whip.
My macaroni confetti salad has some combination of the following: minced celery, red bell pepper, pepperoncini, dill pickles, shallots, and carrot. The key is to get the vegetables chopped very, very, very finely. Extra work, but so delicious. Dressing is mayo with just a little sugar.
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My family's macaroni salad recipe
