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    Home » One Pot Recipes

    Best Macaroni Salad (One Bowl)

    Published: May 29, 2019 · Modified: Jan 8, 2021 by Abeer Rizvi · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

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    The best, classic, old fashioned, quick and easy macaroni salad recipe, homemade with simple ingredients in one pot or bowl. Rich, creamy, loaded with mayonnaise, sour cream.

    Salads with pasta are always so filling and perfect for Summer picnics, potlucks and BBQ parties such as this Italian Tortellini Salad. Today's salad recipe is also very filling, creamy and flavorful. It's a combination of my Grandma's Amish macaroni salad and the classic Southern macaroni salad.

    How to make macaroni salad?

    1. Make a simple creamy salad dressing by mixing together sour cream, mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, ginger powder, parsley, dill.
    2. Mix in boiled pasta, cheese and vegetables.
    3. Chill and serve.

    What to serve with best macaroni salad recipe?

    This Summer salad makes a wonderful side dish with smoked, baked or grilled chicken, steak and even fish (salmon). You can also serve it alongside burgers, hot dogs, bbq ribs.

    Try it with some of my family's favorite main dishes: Honey Garlic Chicken (One Pan) or this Chili Lime Chicken (One Pan) and Honey Sriracha Chicken (One Pot) and obviously these Garlic Butter Steak Bites (One Pot).

    Easy Macaroni Salad Recipe

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    How do I keep macaroni salad from absorbing mayonnaise? How to keep pasta salad from drying out?

    Nothing can truly stop this from happening because it is a natural process that the pasta will absorb the dressing. However, you can delay the drying out process by the following techniques:

    • Coat pasta in olive oil- Pour some olive oil over the boiled pasta. This will prevent it from clumping together and it will also create an oily barrier on the macaroni to delay the absorption of the mayo dressing.
    • Drain pasta and rinse it- Rinsing it removes the starch but make sure it's not dripping with water. When it's dry, use it in the recipe and this way, the dressing can coat the macaroni pieces very well and not become diluted.
    • Use ingredients- Chill boiled pasta in the fridge, along with all the other veggies before mixing it all together because this will also slow down the absorption of the mayo sour cream dressing.

    Do you rinse macaroni for macaroni salad?

    Yes, rinse it in cold water because it stops the pasta from continuing to cook and also, it removes the starch, which causes the macaroni to clump together. So, there are two benefits of rinsing.

    How long is pasta salad with mayo good for in the fridge and outside?

    It depends on how you are storing it. It can sit outside for up to 2 hours at room temperature. If you are serving this at an outdoor event in the sun, it should be kept chilled before serving there. Place it in a shaded area. It can last up to 2 hours but if it's too hot, it can go bad before then.

    If you store it in a sealed container in the fridge, it will last 2-3 days but a lot of the dressing will get absorbed in the macaroni. You

    Best Macaroni Salad

    Creamy macaroni salad dressing

    This easy salad dressing is made by whisking together sour cream, mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, ginger powder, fresh parsley and dill. You can also make it in advance and store it in a sealed jar for up to 1 week.

    Variations

    Simple macaroni salad with egg- Mix in 4 roughly chopped boiled eggs.

    Tuna macaroni salad- Mix in 1or 2 drained cans of tuna (5 oz. cans).

    Hawaiian macaroni salad- Mix in some ham and diced pineapples.

    Chicken macaroni salad- Mix in 1 cup shredded chicken.

    Shrimp macaroni salad- Mix in 1 cup cooked shrimp.

    Add ham- Mix in 1 cup boiled or baked ham.

    Add cheese- Mix in shredded cheddar cheese or cheddar cubes or any other cheese of your liking.

    How to Make Creamy Macaroni Salad

    Tips and Techniques

    Use full fat ingredients– For maximum creaminess and richness. This is especially with regards to sour cream and mayo. You can also use Miracle Whip instead of mayo.

    Can you make creamy Summer salad with Greek Yogurt? Yes! It’s a healthier alternative to sour cream or mayo but has a strong tangy flavor. You can also make this salad healthy by using low fat mayo and low fat sour cream.

    Adjust amount of herbs and spices- This is based on your personal preference. Add more or less of whatever you like or dislike.

    What herbs to use in salads? Typically, dill are parsley is used but you can also use basil, chives, green onions or even cilantro. Make sure to use fresh herbs since they taste the best and have a stronger aroma and flavor.

    Let it rest– After preparing this salad, it’s important to set it in the fridge for about 20-30 minutes. This deepens the flavors.

    Serve it cold- This is a cold pasta salad and it's always served cold. If you serve it warm, the pasta will dry out because rather than coating the macaroni, the dressing will get absorbed in the pasta.

    More Salad Recipes

    • Creamy Cucumber Salad (One Bowl)
    • Broccoli Salad Recipe (One Bowl)
    • Waldorf Salad Recipe (One Bowl)

    Recipe

    Best Easy Macaroni Salad Recipe

    Easy Creamy Macaroni Salad

    Abeer
    The best, classic, quick, easy macaroni salad recipe, homemade with simple ingredients in one pot or bowl. Rich, creamy, loaded with mayonnaise, sour cream.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 10 minutes mins
    Total Time 20 minutes mins
    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine American
    Servings 8 People
    Calories 388 kcal

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    Ingredients
      

    • ½ cup Mayonnaise Full fat
    • ½ cup Sour cream Full fat
    • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
    • ¼ cup Apple cider vinegar
    • Salt To taste
    • Pepper To taste
    • 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon Ginger powder
    • 1 tablespoon Sugar Optional
    • 2 tablespoon Dill Roughly chopped, Fresh
    • 2 tablespoon Parlsey Roughly chopped, Fresh
    • 1 pound Elbow macaroni Boiled
    • ½ cup Cheddar cheese Shredded
    • ½ cup Onion Finely chopped
    • ½ cup Celery
    • 1 cup Peppers Variety of red, yellow, green bell peppers
    • ½ cup Peas Frozen, Thawed

    Instructions
     

    • In a large salad bowl, add mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard, vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic, ginger, sugar, dill, parsley and mix everything until smooth and creamy.
    • Add macaroni, cheese, onion, celery, peppers, peas and mix until pasta is fully coated. 
    • Cover and chill for 30 minutes. Enjoy! 

    Video

    Notes

    • Read all my tips above.
    • In the pictures, you can see that I added some red and yellow cherry tomatoes too. I added about 1 cup. It's another veggie you can toss in this salad. 
    • Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 days. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 388kcalCarbohydrates: 48gProtein: 10gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 176mgPotassium: 249mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 345IUVitamin C: 19.6mgCalcium: 88mgIron: 1.1mg

    An automated tool is used to calculate the nutritional information. As such, I cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information provided for any recipe on this site.

    Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below or rate and tag @1potrecipes on social

    Happy cooking everyone!

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    Hi, I'm Abeer!

    Recipe developer. Photographer. Mommy & Foodie. Welcome to OnePot Recipes, a place where I share my love for cooking using One Pot, Instant Pot and Stock Pot!

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