I am not typically a fan of macaroni salad.. unless it is my Mom’s. I know the picture above shows this salad made with the little shells.. macaroni or shells, it all tastes the same. My family for some reason prefers shells to macaroni so that’s what we did. We would always have this at family picnics or trips to the lake. I feel like every time we had it, there were different mix-ins depending on what she had on hand. A few things were always the same though: cheese, ham, and peas.
Ingredients
- 1 pkg. (1 lb) pkg. macaroni (or shells)
- 1 1/2 c. mayonnaise
- 2 Tbsp. mustard
- 1/4 c. sour cream
- 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. sugar
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt (or to taste)
- ground black pepper (to taste)
- 1 c. ham steak, cut into small cubes
- 1 c. cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes
- 2/3 c. frozen peas, thawed
- 2-3 carrots, shredded
- cucumber, peeled and diced
- dill pickles, chopped
- tomato, diced
- red bell pepper, diced
- celery, chopped
Optional mix-ins:
Instructions
- Prepare macaroni to al dente according to package directions. After macaroni is cooked, drain and rinse in cold water. Once macaroni has cooled down, drain well.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine mayonnaise, mustard, sour cream, apple cider vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper.
- In a large bowl toss macaroni with ham, cheese, peas, carrots, and other mix-ins.
- Fold in mayonnaise mixture until pasta is well coated.
- Cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit overnight.
- If the salad seems a little dry after setting up overnight, add some milk a little bit at a time until salad becomes nice and creamy again.
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I assume when you say “allow to sit overnight” that you mean in the refrigerator????
Yes! Definitely in the fridge!
What kind of mayonnaise did you use?
Best Foods.. always Best Foods. I am picky when it comes to mayo!
We don’t have best foods in Nova Scotia would you suggest Hellman’s or Miracle Whip?
Yes! Hellmann’s IS Best Foods. It is the exact same thing. I don’t know why but it is labeled differently depending on where you live. Definitely go with the Hellmann’s!
Thank you can’t wait to try this!
This salad is so good! I did use a couple tips from another pasta salad recipe I love. I boiled the pasta in heavily salted water (2 tablespoons salt). I also cut the carrots into coins and added them to the boiling pasta the last minute of cooking time. This cooks them just enough to eat in the pasta, but they’re still firm. The last difference was I didn’t rinse the pasta (I never rinse pasta). I spread it on a cookie sheet to cool. It doesn’t matter if it clumps at all, the dressing breaks it up. I didn’t change any ingredients though. The flavor was spot on. My husband and I gobbled it up! Thanks for the great recipe!
How many does it serve?
It would feed a small crowd as a side dish. About 8 to 10.