Classic Macaroni Salad

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Easy classic macaroni salad made with pasta, eggs, pickles, celery and onion – all in a sweet creamy sauce.

Macaroni Salad Overview

Classic macaroni salad is served cold and loaded with crunchy celery, red onion, hard boiled eggs, cheese and pickles. Everything is tossed together with a creamy mayonnaise salad dressing for a delicious side dish. It’s the perfect recipe to serve at picnics or potlucks with hamburgers, steak, or hot dogs.

First the macaroni pasta is cooked al dente, and two eggs are boiled. Next, an easy dressing made from mayonnaise, sour cream, pickle juice, and vinegar and drizzled over all the main ingredients. This salad can be prepped the night before and tossed together just before serving.

Recipe Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups uncooked macaroni pasta – about 8 oz
• 2 celery stalks – chopped small
• ⅓ cup red onion – chopped small
• ½ cup sweet gherkins – chopped small
• 2 large hard boiled eggs – peeled and chopped small
• ½ cup cubed cheddar cheese

Dressing Ingredients

• ¾ cup mayonnaise
• ¼ cup sour cream
• 2 Tbsp pickle juice
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
• 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 2 tsp dijon mustard
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp ground pepper

How To Make Macaroni Salad

Full ingredients and instructions are also in the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post.

STEP 1: Boil a pot of salted water over medium-high heat on the stove. Once boiling, add 1 ½ cups macaroni pasta. Cook pasta al dente. Add to a strainer and rinse under cold water. Add the cooked pasta to a large serving bowl.

STEP 2: In a medium bowl mix together the salad dressing ingredients: ¾ cup mayonnaise, ¼ cup sour cream, 2 Tbsp pickle juice, 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar, 1 Tbsp granulated sugar, 2 tsp dijon mustard, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp ground black pepper. Stir together until smooth and creamy.

STEP 3: Add 2 chopped celery stalks, ⅓ cup chopped red onion, ½ cup chopped sweet gherkins, 2 chopped hard-boiled eggs, and ½ cup cubed cheddar cheese to the large serving bowl alongside the cooked pasta. Toss everything together.

STEP 4: Pour the creamy dressing over top and toss with the salad ingredients until evenly coated. Cover and place in the fridge for 1 hour to chill before serving.

Recipe Tips

• Because this salad is served cold, it can be prepped the night before and stored in the fridge until ready to serve.
• Any shape of pasta noodles will work for the recipe. They do not need to be macaroni style.
• Cook pasta al dente (soft but still a bit firm) so that it isn’t too mushy.
• You can add extra veggies like chopped red bell pepper, green peas, and corn. You can also drizzle freshly squeezed lemon juice and olive oil over finished salad. Sprinkle hot sauce for an extra kick.

How To Store Leftovers

This salad tastes best when served cold. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3-4 days.

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