Classic Mac Salad Recipe
By
Amy Wisniewski
A flavorful update of a classic picnic side dish. We’ve removed the excessive mayo typical of macaroni salad and added a dollop of sour cream. If you’re going to throw dietary caution to the wind, your mac salad should at least taste good.
Game plan: The macaroni salad can be made up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerated in a covered container. Stir well before serving.
This recipe was featured as part of both our Picnic for the Fourth of July menu and our Picnic Recipes photo gallery.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 3/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound cooked elbow macaroni, rinsed and cooled
- 3/4 cup celery, small dice
- 1/3 cup fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup red onion, small dice
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar, mustard, sugar, salt, paprika, and pepper in a large nonreactive bowl and whisk to combine.
- Add remaining ingredients and stir to evenly coat. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving.
This is just about my recipe (sans sour cream) which is a CLASSIC style macaroni salad with no other "add ins" because then it is NOT macaroni salad. My tip to add is this: definitely make a day ahead & then the morning you will serve this, pour in just a bit of pickle juice from the jar & stir. This re-moistens the macaroni which has absorbed much of the wet ingredients & perks up the flavor!!
Once in awhile, I throw a can of tuna in the mix. It's yummy!
I *love* macaroni salad, especially with a sandwich for lunch.
Mine is basically the same as this, just minus the sugar and with lemon juice instead of cider vinegar, a pinch of cayenne instead of paprika and then add in diced red bell pepper and a little garlic powder.
Thinly sliced carrot coins, chick peas, black olives, small cubed cheese, cubed ham or turkey breast, dill pickles diced, boiled eggs, sunflower seeds....all kinds of add ins!
I think I would like more veggies for color and crunch. I would add zuchhini (yellow & green) and red or green peppers. You could also use fresh or frozen (thawed not cooked) green peas.