Southern Macaroni Salad Recipe
Southern Macaroni Salad with eggs, veggies, and creamy dressing. Classic BBQ side ready in 20 minutes!
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Servings: 6
Ingredients
Macaroni Salad
- 2 ½ cups uncooked pasta noodles
- 2 hard boiled eggs peeled, diced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- ¾ cup bell pepper diced
- ½ cup frozen peas
- ½ cup sweet onion diced
- fresh parsley chopped, or sliced green onions for garnish
Southern Macaroni Salad Dressing
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon minced garlic or garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook pasta al dente according to package instructions. Drain, rinse under cool water. Set aside.
- Mix all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl or shake in a mason jar.
- Combine the pasta and chopped veggies in a large mixing bowl.
- Top with dressing. Chill for 15- 30 minutes for best results.
- Garnish with fresh parsley and serve chilled with your favorite dishes. Enjoy!
Notes
- Cook pasta al dente - slightly underdone. It continues softening in the dressing.
- Salt the pasta water properly. This seasons the noodles from the inside.
- Rinse cooked pasta in cold water immediately to stop cooking and cool it down.
- Let pasta cool completely before adding dressing or it absorbs too much.
- Make 1½ batches of dressing. Pasta absorbs dressing as it sits - stir in extra before serving.
- Buy pre-cooked hard-boiled eggs for easier prep.
- Can't find red bell pepper? Use green bell pepper or another color instead.
- Chill for 15-30 minutes before serving for maximum flavor.
- Don't leave at room temperature more than 2 hours. Serve on ice if possible.
- Use full-fat mayo for best creaminess. Light mayo works but isn't as rich.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 395kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 17g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 78mg | Sodium: 277mg | Potassium: 211mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 929IU | Vitamin C: 31mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 1mg
