Best Ever Classic Macaroni Salad
The best + easiest old-fashioned macaroni salad to bring to all the BBQs/potlucks! Everyone will be dying for the recipe!
We all need a good classic macaroni salad in our back pocket. One that we can always bring to backyard BBQs and potlucks. And one you can also make up to 2 days in advance.
But most importantly, we need it to be creamy. We need it to have tons of veggies. And we need plenty of extra-sharp cheddar cheese. Keyword being plenty.
So that’s what we have here. We have the four very important elements right in this classic macaroni salad (make-ahead, creamy, veggie-loaded, and abundance of cheese).
It’s quick, simple and make-ahead for up to two whole days! Just be sure to give it a good stir prior to serving.
And serve with all of my favorite kabobs – the bbq pineapple chicken kabobs, the shrimp boil kabobs, and/or the Korean chicken kabobs!
Best Ever Classic Macaroni Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups elbow macaroni
- ¾ cup frozen peas
- 2 large eggs
- ⅔ cup mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ½ red bell pepper, diced
- ⅓ cup diced red onion
- 2 celery ribs, diced
- ¾ cup diced extra-sharp cheddar cheese
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions. Stir in peas during the last 1 minute of cooking time; drain well and rinse with cold water.
- Place eggs in a large saucepan and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute. Cover eggs with a tight-fitting lid and remove from heat; set aside for 8-10 minutes. Drain well and let cool before peeling and dicing.
- In a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, parsley, vinegar and Dijon. Stir in pasta, peas, eggs, bell pepper, onion, celery and cheese; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Cover; place into the refrigerator for 2 hours or up to 2 days.
- Serve cold.
Did you make this recipe?
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Macaroni salad is one of the things I look forward to every summer, I try not to make it often because I’m just not good at moderation where this “side dish” is concerned 😉 This is very similar to my personal recipe except that I typical do not add egg and always add one large full sour brine garlic dill pickle (like the ones you find in the deli) and a scant 1/4 cup miracle whip in addition to the Mayo to give it a slight hint of sweetness. I did decide to make the recipe exactly as written and thought it was excellent…but then added the pickle and it just gives it that perfect extra accent – highly recommend.
Thanks for the great recipe! Damn delicious really has alot of recipes that just look amazing. With working from home these days and no commute I just have more time in the kitchen and look forward to cooking more!
I made the macaroni salad to complement pulled pork sandwiches and it was delicious. I did add some fresh corn and I substituted dill for parsley. I love the fresh crunch of the veggies so tasty! It was a big hit! Will absolutely make again!
This is the best damn macaroni salad ever! I find I need more mayo! It’s my comfort good! Thank you do much.
I’ve made this at least 6 times, in fact I just finished making another one. It’s delicious and addicting.
This recipe does not disappoint! I have made this a few times and it’s been damn delicious!!:)
Best Mac. Salad … Ever … Won’t Be Making Any Other !!! Thanks Sooo Much For Sharing … Followed Directions … Perfect … Combinations Of Veggies … Is Outstanding ….
Omitted the onion and cheese and added diced dill pickle and diced black olives. Delicious!
I make my standard Mac salad which my husband and I love but was looking for something different and came across this recipe. It really is the best ever Mac salad. It is bursting with flavor. We loved it, can’t wait to make for a get together this summer.
This is a really good pasta salad. I omitted the red onion and pepper, replacing them with shredded carrots and chives, which my family likes better. I added a bit of chili powder, to taste. Everything else, I followed to a tee and it was delicious. I diced all of the veggies super tiny and shredded the cheese, which makes the texture excellent!
This is absolutely delicious. Only modification I made was adding a pinch of hot chili powder. So, so good.
Made this today! It’s so delicious! Brought it to a pot luck – it was devoured. My husband is eating the rest of it now as I’m typing this great recipe! Will be definitely making this again.
I’ll try it. Have to take mac salad to a church event. I hate mac salad…but I didn’t want to complain. Peas aren’t even a food…they are just yuk.
This was absolutely delicious. Easy to make and tastes yummy. My kids are it and wanted more!
This looks delicious!
This looks delicious
Thanks so much for posting these delightful recipes. They remind me so much of my childhood at home, where family is first , good home cooked meals and lots of Love♥️
This is my Mom’s way of making Mac Salad! (except for vinegar & mustard). I’d forgotten how good this is!
One of the differences is this: Velveeta instead of expensive “cheese”—-just as delicious!!!!
I did try this with Velveeta the second time I made it. I actually loved it. Good suggestion!
Great recipe! I did add relish and cayenne pepper, just personal preference, but fantastic!
Yummy! I made this for a bbq and everyone loved it! I made it as is and I’ll be making it again!
Easy to make, and everybody like it!
looking for the food value carbs, protein ect
Hi Alan! Nutritional information is provided only for select recipes at this time. However, if it is not available for a specific recipe, we recommend using free online resources at your discretion (you can Google “nutritional calculator”). Hope that helps!