hello all! i'm looking for a great macaroni salad recipe, and hope that many of you will have tried and true favorites to share.
(i used the search function first, and it was not very helpful...)
have a good weekend...
 

Whatever you do..Use Duke's

Easy:

Macaroni
Mayo (won't go wrong with Hellmann's/Best Foods or Duke's)
Pico de Gallo
Salt and pepper to taste

This is my go-to macaroni salad recipe and it's rare that I bring any leftovers home when contributing to a picnic or potluck.

Pico de Gallo huh I never would of thought of that. Do you use homemade or store bought. Does it make it too runny?

I like Tri Color Rotini with Italian dressing.

I usually add chopped stick meat like a soppressata or a hard salami, but pepperoni would work in a pinch.  I also use chopped black olives, and chopped Mancini Peppers.

Its always a hit!

celery, lots of celery. but NO EGGS!

Boil a box of elbows, drain, rinse till cool, drain more.
Mince up one onion, place it on a plate, microwave it one minute.
Grate 1 carrot.

Mix this all in the macaroni.
Add 1 heaping tsp of Accent, sprinkle it all over.
Add mayonnaise.
Mix all very well, chill.
Serve 4 hours later or next day better.

The best macaroni salad I've had is Hawaiian macaroni salad.  I have not been able to recreate it, I don't think I have enough Mayo in stock.

When I go to a hawaiian joint I love the macaroni salad.

Please if anyone has a hawaiian macronia salad reciepe let me know.

whats the secert ingredient? pineapple?

I've never seen pineapple in any mac salad out here. Some plate lunch places make a combo mac/potato salad, some add canned tuna fish or kamaboko (fish cake made from surimi) to the mix and others add peas to the equation. No matter what kind of plate lunch you get they always include 2 scoop rice and 1 scoop mac salad.

MandalayVA


Easy:

Macaroni
Mayo (won't go wrong with Hellmann's/Best Foods or Duke's)
Pico de Gallo
Salt and pepper to taste

This is my go-to macaroni salad recipe and it's rare that I bring any leftovers home when contributing to a picnic or potluck.

That sounds easy and tasty.

The best macaroni salad I ever tasted was the original, old Publix recipe that used to be made in the deli's daily. The stuff they sell in the containers tastes nothing like it. I'm not sure which clone of the KFC that I use whether it's Gloria's or Todd Wilbur's, but the with the substitution of restaurant grade heavy mayo or Duke's double egg mayo and using some seasoned salt instead of onion salt, that's near identical to what I remember as Publix's. This one uses a combination of mayo,miracle whip/salad dressing, and sour cream to give a very creamy texture that coats very well. The addition of finely,chopped, sweet pickles instead of relish gives the signature taste. If you're interested and can't find the recipe, I can post it.

Here is my recipe.  The bowl is always emptied!

Salad Ingredients:
8oz. Ditalini (small tubes, sometimes called salad macaroni) pasta or elbows
1 c. diced celery
1 c. diced  crisp sweet pickles (not relish, please)
3-4 green onions including green tops, diced
6 hard cooked eggs, diced

Dressing:
1 c. Dukes mayo
1/4 c. salad oil (canola)
1/4 c. water
1 t. sugar
1 t. salt
pepper to taste

Cook pasta in heavily salted water, drain and rinse with cold water.  Combine salad ingredients in large bowl.  Combine dressing ingredients until well blended.  I use a covered jar and shake shake shake.  Add dressing to salad and chill thoroghly.
Enjoy!

sop that


The best macaroni salad I've had is Hawaiian macaroni salad.  I have not been able to recreate it, I don't think I have enough Mayo in stock.

When I go to a hawaiian joint I love the macaroni salad.

Please if anyone has a hawaiian macronia salad reciepe let me know.

Here is one from RecipeZaar:
 
RecipeZaar Hawaiian Macaroni Salad

 
3 cups large macaroni
1/4 cup grated carrot
1 cup Best Foods (Hellman’s) Mayonnaise (a must)
1/4 cup milk
salt & pepper

Directions

Cook macaroni till very tender (almost overcooked).
Add grated carrots, mayonnaise, and milk till well coated. Salt & Pepper to taste. Use more mayonnaise if needed.
Chill in refrigerator.
When ready to serve, add more mayonnaise to keep salad from drying out.

Hey Kona - Do they have Dukes Mayo in Hawaii? 

I love plate lunch macaroni, too.  It is wonderful.  Get a nice plate lunch and then finish it off with a few donuts from that place Leonard's (?).  We went there first thing in the morning.  They were good!

You get all your carbs for the week!

We do something that goes back to at least the 50's -- whatever mayo or miracle whip is used, doctor it up first with desired amounts of salt & pepper and sugar & vinegar.  It's easy to mix in a little at a time until a desired taste is reached.  The extra liquid also "loosens" up the dish a little, which it often needs, in our opinion.  To us it's a great improvement in almost any dish. 

wow macaroni salad must be different across the country. We always made it with boiled elbow macaroni with hellmans. a tbs of mustard, chopped onions, bell pepper and celery, sweet relish, and canned tuna with the oil drained, salt and pepper to taste

seatown76


Pico de Gallo huh I never would of thought of that. Do you use homemade or store bought. Does it make it too runny?

My local supermarket makes an excellent pico de gallo--basically just chopped up tomatoes and onions and cilantro.  I usually don't add a lot of mayo because sometimes the PDG has a lot of juice in it.  If it doesn't I'll add more mayo. 

Elbow Macarorni,Chopped celery,Diced Roma Tomato,chopped red pepper,chopped cucumbers,a pound of chopped Boiled Shrimp and three cups at least of Dukes Mayo.Combine all ingredientts and let chill a couple of hours.Best served with Fried Chicken and BBQ Ribs.

This is one of my favorite ways to make a macaroni salad:

Macaroni and Cheese Salad

1 1/2 cups macaroni
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped celery
3 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion
8 cherry tomatoes
1 cup mayonnaise
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon Beau Monde ™ seasoning
(you can use celery salt or other season salt if you can't find the Beau Monde)

1. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta until al dente, rinse under cold water and drain. 2. In a large bowl, combine pasta and vinegar. Mix well and allow to sit 15-20 minutes. 3. Add cheese, peppers, celery, green onions, tomatoes, mayonnaise and seasonings. Mix well and refrigerate until chilled. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2009 Allrecipes.com

Thanks 6Star, I will try that recipe today.  Sounds right, sometimes simple is better.

Joe

My sister and I have used my Mother's recipe for macaroni salad for years. I think it's pretty ordinary ingredients but tastes so good. This is the ONLY place I use Miracle Whip cause I am a mayo girl  lol

1 lb macaroni ( boiled to desired tenderness)
1 green pepper ( or any color actually) minced fine
1 cup celery ( I use the tender insides) ( leaves too) minced fine
1/2 cup sweet onion minced fine
boiled eggs ( about 6 or so ) diced
1 large jar of pimentos
1 tablespoon of yellow mustard
about a 1/2 jar of Miracle whip ( I keep putting it in till its very moist )
salt/pepper to taste
I know it's very simple but everyone that eats it loves it 
Pam

Boil two cups mixed Rotini pasta, rinse with cold water, and bring to room temperature. Squeeze one fresh lemon, mix thoroughly, refrigerate for one hour.
 
Add chopped celery, rough chopped red onion, sliced green olives, chopped green pepper, finely chopped jalapeno pepper, ground black pepper, and basil to your liking. I wanted to add sliced black olives as well but did not have any.
Add a little more lemon juice and 1/2 cup of Greek dressing, mix thoroughly, cover and refrigerate for a couple of hours. Add feta cheese when serving.
 

 i now have so many good ideas, i can't pick one - might have to taste test a few on the family first before deciding which pleases us most...thank you everybody for the great response!

Enticing. Looks a lot like my Pasta Primivera John.

Baah Ben


Hey Kona - Do they have Dukes Mayo in Hawaii? 

I love plate lunch macaroni, too.  It is wonderful.  Get a nice plate lunch and then finish it off with a few donuts from that place Leonard's (?).  We went there first thing in the morning.  They were good!

You get all your carbs for the week!

BB...Can't say I've seen Dukes mayo here in Kona but they might carry it at Whole Foods over on Oahu. Mostly what you see here is Best Foods mayo (Hellman's east of the Rockies). Yeah, plate lunches are pretty good and very filling. That's why you never see very many thin locals.

I usually do the tricolored rotini with homemade Good Seasons dressing (balsamic vinegar & grapeseed oil to make it), chopped cheese, pepperoni, onion, tomato, green pepper, black olives.

When I'm in a hurry for a work potluck (we have a TON of picky eaters), I go get 4 pounds of mac salad from the local grocery store's deli. I put it in my own bowl & let it sit overnight. In the morning I mix in more mayo, Old Bay seasoning & a bag or 2 of shredded cheddar. Everyone loves this & OF COURSE asks for the recipe. haha.

lots of great recipes!!!

for the following, amounts of individual ingredients are up to your discretion/taste preference.  basically the amount of pasta should be 2/3 to 3/4 of the whole with the other ingredients added in to make up the balance.  herbs/spices are 'to taste'.   

amount of pasta to be cooked depends on whether it's for a side dish or a main course as well as how many people are to be served.

for the basic mayo-type macaroni salad:
 
elbow macaroni cooked until *just* done
chopped celery
chopped bell peppers (green, red, mixture)
chopped onion (vidalia if they're in season, otherwise, red)
mayo (not salad dressing)
salt & pepper and dash of garlic powder and maybe a dash of dry mustard powder or a splash of already made mustard

mix well, chill for at least an hour and serve.

to 'spice' it up add one of the following:

small can of tuna, drained & flaked
small can of baby shrimp, drained

with either of these added in it's nice as an entree with a green salad on the side.

for a nice mac salad with oil-based coating:

spiral macaroni cooked until *just* done
chopped broccoli florets
chunks or slices of pepperoni (i like the chunks better)
chunks of sharp or extra sharp cheddar cheese
italian dressing

mix well, chill for at least an hour; mix again and serve.

My Macaroni Salad:
 
16 oz elbow macaroni cooked according to box directions.  Don't forget to add salt to the water.
2-3 stalks of celery, diced
1/2 medium onion finely diced
6 sweet gerkins, diced
6 hard boiled eggs, 5 eggs chopped, 1 egg sliced to top mixed salad.
paprika
salt to taste
 
Dressing:
1 1/2 C mayonaise
1T mustard
1T cider vinegar
4 T sugar
 
Blend dressing & set aside until sugar dissolves.
 
Mix all but sliced egg with mayo mixture, top with sliced egg & sprinkle with paprika. 
 

I loved the salad my German GF made.  Using a mayo base, she added finely diced dill pickles, onion, celery diced tomato(seeded and drained), and sausage.  She used a local knockwurst variety but at home I use a Hilshire Farms sausage.  It gives it an addictive taste and makes it almost a meal in itself.