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This Macaroni Salad Recipe is a family favorite loaded with tender macaroni, ham, cheddar cheese, peas, carrots, and green onions, all tossed in a creamy, slightly tangy dressing. It is the kind of Classic Macaroni Salad I want at every summer BBQ, picnic, potluck, and family get-together, and it tastes even better when you make it ahead.
5 Star Reviews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Made this for a big family bbq. It was absolutely delicious. It’s simple to make and so yummy.” – Christine
“Tried it and loved it! I always add tomato, cheddar cheese chunks, celery, bell peppers, and Hellman’s. Never thought to add ham and peas! Would not change a thing!” – Barbara
“I just made this for dinner tonight so it won’t be sitting overnight. I did however take a tiny bite after mixing everything and WOW. This stuff is amazing. Thanks for sharing.” – Nicole
Why I Love This Macaroni Salad
Typically, I’m not a big fan of macaroni salad, but my mom’s recipe has always been the exception. We had this salad at family picnics, trips to the lake, Easter dinners, Fourth of July BBQs, and so many other family gatherings that I can’t imagine summer without it.
I think what makes this recipe work so well is the combination of textures and flavors. You get creamy dressing, tender pasta, salty ham and cheddar, sweet peas and carrots, and fresh green onion in every bite. The dressing has just enough mustard and apple cider vinegar to give it some tang without overpowering everything else.
This is the traditional Macaroni Salad I grew up with, and it definitely gets our family-favorite stamp of approval.
🩷 Erica
Table of Contents
- 5 Star Reviews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Why I Love This Macaroni Salad
- What Makes This a Classic Macaroni Salad
- Ingredients You’ll Need
- Ingredient Additions and Substitutions
- How to Make Macaroni Salad
- Recipe Tips
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Make Ahead and Storage
- Pairing Ideas
- More Great Pasta Salad Recipes
- Classic Macaroni Salad Recipe
What Makes This a Classic Macaroni Salad
Macaroni salad is a cold pasta salad made with small pasta, a creamy mayonnaise-based dressing, and a variety of mix-ins. There are lots of ways to make it, but this is the version my family has made for years.
I think of this recipe in three parts:
- Pasta: Elbow macaroni is the traditional choice and holds onto the creamy dressing really well.
- Dressing: Mayonnaise, sour cream, yellow mustard, apple cider vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper make a creamy dressing with a little sweetness and tang.
- Mix-ins: Ham, cheddar, peas, carrots, and green onions make this salad colorful, hearty, and full of texture.
Unlike some macaroni salads that are mostly pasta and dressing, I like plenty of mix-ins in mine. It makes every bite a little different and is one of the reasons this recipe has been such a favorite in our family.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Pasta: Elbow macaroni is my first choice, but another small pasta shape will also hold the creamy dressing well.
- Creamy dressing: Mayonnaise, yellow mustard, sour cream, apple cider vinegar, sugar, kosher salt, and black pepper give the salad its creamy, sweet, and tangy flavor.
- Ham: Cubed ham adds a salty, savory bite and makes this macaroni salad a little heartier.
- Cheddar cheese: I like cheddar cut into small cubes so you get little bites of cheese throughout the salad.
- Vegetables: Thawed peas, shredded carrots, and thinly sliced green onions add color, freshness, and texture.
Ingredient Additions and Substitutions
One of the nice things about macaroni salad is how easy it is to adjust. I love our mom’s combination, but there are plenty of ways to make it your own.
- Pasta: Small shells, cavatappi, and ditalini all work well in place of elbow macaroni.
- Mustard: Yellow mustard is what I use for a traditional flavor, but Dijon mustard is also good if you want a little more bite.
- Cheese: Shredded cheddar can be used instead of cubes. A reader asked about this in the comments, and it works just fine.
- Ham: Leave it out for a meatless macaroni salad, or try diced chicken or drained tuna.
- Eggs: Chopped hard-boiled eggs are a popular addition.
- Extra vegetables: Try celery, bell pepper, cucumber, radishes, or halved cherry tomatoes.
- Pickles and olives: Chopped dill or sweet pickles, pickle relish, or sliced black olives are all good additions.
- Green onions: You can use finely diced sweet or red onion instead. If raw onion tastes too sharp, soak it in cold water for a few minutes, then drain and pat dry before adding.
- Mayonnaise: I usually use Best Foods or Hellmann’s. Miracle Whip will also work, but it will make the dressing sweeter and tangier.
- Seasonings: Garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, or a little ranch seasoning can be added to change up the flavor.
How to Make Macaroni Salad
- Cook the macaroni. Cook the pasta in salted water according to the package directions until tender but not mushy. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking and cool the pasta. Let it drain really well.
- Make the dressing. In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, yellow mustard, sour cream, apple cider vinegar, sugar, kosher salt, and black pepper until smooth.
- Prepare the mix-ins. Cube the ham and cheddar cheese, shred the carrots, thaw the peas, and thinly slice the green onions.
- Combine the pasta and mix-ins. Add the cooled, well-drained macaroni to a large bowl with the ham, cheddar, peas, carrots, and green onions. Toss everything together so the mix-ins are evenly distributed.
- Add the dressing. Pour the dressing over the macaroni mixture and gently fold everything together until the pasta and mix-ins are evenly coated.
- Chill before serving. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or overnight if you have time. Stir again before serving. If the macaroni salad has absorbed some of the dressing and seems dry, stir in a small splash of milk until it is creamy again.
Recipe Tips
- Salt the pasta water. This is your chance to season the macaroni itself instead of relying completely on the dressing for flavor.
- Don’t overcook the pasta. You want it tender but still holding its shape. Pasta that is already mushy will get even softer after sitting in the dressing.
- Rinse the macaroni. Macaroni salad is one of the few pasta recipes where I rinse the pasta. Cold water stops the cooking, cools the noodles, and keeps them from sticking together.
- Drain the pasta well. Extra water can thin the dressing, so give the macaroni a few minutes in the colander before assembling the salad.
- Keep your mix-ins bite-sized. Cutting the ham and cheese into small, similar-sized pieces helps you get a little of everything in each scoop.
- Taste the dressing first. Before adding it to the pasta, taste and adjust the mustard, salt, pepper, or sugar to your preference.
- Give it time to chill. I think this salad is best after at least 3 hours in the refrigerator. Overnight is even better because the flavors have more time to come together.
- Refresh it before serving. Pasta absorbs dressing as it sits. If the salad seems dry the next day, stir it well and add a splash of milk to bring back the creamy texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Elbow macaroni is the classic choice and what I usually use. Small shells, ditalini, and cavatappi are also good because they are small enough to mix easily with the dressing and other ingredients.
Rinsing the macaroni under cold water stops the cooking and quickly cools it before you add the creamy dressing. It also removes some of the surface starch so the pasta is less likely to stick together.
I use yellow mustard in this recipe. It gives the dressing that familiar classic macaroni salad flavor. Dijon also works if that is what you have or if you prefer a slightly sharper flavor.
Yes. If you don’t care for mustard in macaroni salad, you can leave it out. The amount in this recipe is small, so it adds a little tang without making the whole salad taste strongly of mustard.
Yes. Cubed cheddar gives you more noticeable bites of cheese, but shredded cheddar works just fine and several readers have made the substitution successfully.
Yes, but the flavor will change. Miracle Whip is sweeter and tangier than regular mayonnaise, so I would taste the dressing before adding all of the sugar and adjust from there. For the flavor I grew up with, I prefer Best Foods or Hellmann’s mayonnaise.
The macaroni continues to absorb some of the dressing while it sits in the refrigerator. Give it a really good stir first. If it is still too dry, add a small splash of milk and stir again until it is as creamy as you like.
Keep macaroni salad chilled until you are ready to serve it. At a picnic or BBQ, don’t leave it at room temperature for more than 2 hours. If the temperature is above 90°F, refrigerate it within 1 hour. If it will be sitting out for a while, I like to place the serving bowl over a larger bowl filled with ice.
Make Ahead and Storage
This is one of my favorite salads to make ahead because I actually prefer the flavor after it has been refrigerated for a few hours.
You can make the whole salad the day before serving, cover it tightly, and keep it in the refrigerator. One reader shared that she likes to make the pasta, ham, and dressing ahead, then store the vegetables and cheese separately and mix them in shortly before serving. That is a great option if you want the vegetables to stay especially crisp.
Store leftover macaroni salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator and use it within 3 to 4 days.
I don’t recommend freezing macaroni salad. The creamy dressing can separate after thawing, and the pasta and vegetables can lose their texture.
If the salad seems dry after being refrigerated, stir it thoroughly and add a small splash of milk before serving.
Pairing Ideas
This creamy macaroni salad is right at home next to anything from the grill. I especially love it with Honey BBQ Chicken, Smoked Baby Back Ribs, homemade hamburgers, or a BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich. If you are planning a summer cookout or potluck, you can also find more ideas in our collection of Best BBQ Side Dishes.
More Great Pasta Salad Recipes
If cold pasta salads are your thing, we have plenty more to try:
- Greek Pasta Salad is a lighter option with fresh vegetables and Greek-inspired flavors.
- Layered Cold Pasta Salad is loaded with layers of ham, eggs, salami, vegetables, and cheese.
- Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad combines two favorites into an easy, hearty salad.
- Shrimp Pasta Salad has tender shrimp and pasta tossed in a fresh lemon dill dressing.
This Classic Macaroni Salad has been part of our family gatherings for as long as I can remember, and I love that it is easy to make ahead and easy to adjust to whatever your family likes. The combination of creamy dressing, ham, cheddar, peas, carrots, and green onions is the version I always come back to.
If you try this Macaroni Salad Recipe, please leave a star rating and comment below. I would love to hear what you added and how it turned out! 💛
Classic Macaroni Salad Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound elbow macaroni, or any other small pasta shape
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons yellow mustard, (or to taste)
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt, or to taste
- ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup ham, cubed
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, cubed
- 2/3 cup frozen peas, thawed
- 2 carrots, shredded
- 3 green onions, sliced thin
Instructions
- Cook macaroni in salted water according to package directions until tender but not mushy. Drain and rinse under cold water until cooled. Let the pasta drain well.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, yellow mustard, sour cream, apple cider vinegar, sugar, kosher salt, and black pepper.
- Add the cooled macaroni to a large bowl with the ham, cheddar cheese, peas, carrots, and green onions.
- Gently toss to combine the noodles with the add ins.
- Pour the dressing over the macaroni mixture and gently fold together until everything is evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight to allow the flavors to blend.
- Stir well before serving. If the macaroni salad seems dry after chilling, stir in milk a little at a time until it reaches the creamy consistency you like.
Notes
- Cook the macaroni until tender but still holding its shape. Overcooked pasta can become mushy once it sits in the dressing.
- Rinse the cooked macaroni under cold water to stop the cooking and cool it before adding the dressing.
- Drain the macaroni thoroughly so excess water doesn’t thin the dressing.
- Yellow mustard gives this salad its classic flavor, but Dijon can be substituted or the mustard can be omitted.
- For the best flavor, refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Making it the day before works especially well.
- If the salad becomes dry after chilling, stir well and add 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk as needed.
- Keep refrigerated until serving. Do not leave macaroni salad out longer than 2 hours, or 1 hour when temperatures are above 90°F.
- Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Freezing is not recommended.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This is my “go to” macaroni salad for family camping trips, brunch with the girls and plenty to share with grandkids. I have shared this recipe several times with the same responses–it’s great!
Thank you, Diane! I’m so glad you like this recipe. I make it a lot this time of year as well for camping, picnics, and bbq’s. It’s a good one!
I make the basic salad (pasta, ham and sauce) the day before and chill it in one bowl (I love the bag idea). I prep the veggies and cheese and put them in sandwich bags to add a little while before serving. I think it gives it a ‘fresher’ flavour and the cheese doesn’t get soggy. It only takes a minute to mix them in. I put some whole cherry tomatoes on top for those who want them.
I like mustard, but not in salads, since (IMO) it tends to overpower the flavor of all the added goodies. I think it’s a southern & midwestern thing. It’s a lovely salad w/o the mustard.
My mid-western dad has always said: just enough mustard to make them wonder why it’s so delicious 🤤
I forgot to get a cube of cheese but I have a bag of shredded. Would that be okay as a substitute?
Yes, shredded should work just fine 🙂
I added sliced black olives. The salad was amazing!
Yum! I would add olives but my kids won’t eat them. I love them though!
Made this for a big family bbq. It was absolutely delicious. It’s simple to make and so yummy.
I’m so glad you liked it! Thank you for letting us know it was a successful recipe for you. We love it too! 🙂