This Classic Macaroni Salad is another dish my mom made often growing up. It was one of her go to salads for pot lucks, and family reunions.
She still makes it every fourth of July when the whole family is home.
If you are a big fan of traditional pasta salad, you will love this recipe. It’s a simple salad with simple ingredients but it pairs perfect with everything from hamburgers and hot dogs to ribs and pulled pork.
My mom goes back and forth between adding little canned shrimp or little chunks of ham. I prefer ham or even no meat at all in mine.
For a large group my mom always doubles this recipe. It makes a giant Tupperware bowl full when it is doubled. A regular batch makes about 12-15 servings.
Classic Macaroni Salad
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Creamy pasta salad mixed with your favorite veggies and smokey bites of ham.
Author: My Mom
Recipe type: Pasta Salad
Cuisine: Potluck
Serves: 12
Ingredients
- 1 lb, small pasta shells, cooked to aldente and drained (don't forget to add salt to the water when cooking. You can cool them off quickly by running them under cold water a few times.(you can also use the tiny little tube pasta's if you can find them, that is what is in the picture.)
- 1 cup diced cucumber
- 1 cup diced tomato, or grape tomatoes halved
- ½ cup green onions or red onion, finely chopped
- 1 cup celery, finely chopped. I like to make it into tiny little squares,
- 1 cup of olives, sliced
- 1 cup of ham, cut into small cubes
- 1 cup mayo
- ¼ cup milk
- ½ tsp garlic salt
- ½ tsp seasoning salt
- salt and pepper to taste
- ½-1 tsp sugar (to taste)
Instructions
- Pour cooled noodles into a large mixing bowl.
- Add the chopped, cucumber, tomato, onion, celery, olives and ham. Do a quick salt and pepper over all the veggies.
- In a small bowl, use a wisk and mix up the sauce by combining the Mayonaise, milk, garlic salt, seasoning salt and ½ a tsp of sugar. Taste it and then add salt, pepper and sugar to taste.
- Pour sauce over pasta and veggies and mix until everything is nicely coated with sauce.
- Best if refrigerated for a couple hours before serving.
- Keep leftovers refridgerated
Just like Mom's
Very good! Made it exactly as written, except for onions (hubby don’t like them), but added onion powder in place. Put a little extra sugar in it. I think what I love most about it, is not having to balance vinegar and mustard. Also, no egg!! Yay!! Definatly will be making again!
Great! Love hearing this Jessi!