Old Fashioned Classic Macaroni Salad Recipes

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain well; rinse with cold water and drain again.
• Reserve 2 tablespoons relish juice; place the rest in a large bowl with onion, bell pepper, carrot, and egg.
• Whisk creamy salad dressing into reserved relish juice. Mix in sour cream, milk, sugar, dill, salt, and pepper. Fold gently into the macaroni mixture. Refrigerate to let flavors blend, 4 to 24 hours.

Steps:

• In a large serving bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients; set aside. Cook pasta in well salted water until al dente according to package directions. Drain, rinse and drizzle with olive oil; add to serving bowl. Top with the onion, celery, pimentos, pickles and pickle juice and toss. Taste, add salt and pepper, taste and adjust as needed. Refrigerate before serving for at least 2 hours, or overnight, if possible; toss again before serving, stirring in additional mayonnaise or pickle juice if more moisture is needed. Cook's Notes: I use Zatarain's Creole mustard and bread and butter fridge pickles and juice. Other add-ins: Sliced or chopped black or green olives, chopped or grated carrot, green, red or yellow bell pepper, red onion, frozen, thawed green peas, sliced green onion, chopped, boiled eggs, seeded and chopped tomatoes, seeded and chopped cucumber, cooked, crumbled bacon, shredded or cubed cheese, Cajun seasoning, garlic powder, and fresh herbs are all good choices. Tip: For a pretty presentation, garnish with a little paprika and lay slices of hard boiled eggs across the top. Top with cooked, crumbled bacon and chopped fresh parsley. Can also serve on individual chilled salad plates dressed with lettuce leaves or shredded lettuce, with a garnish of crumbled egg and cooked bacon. Variation: Add 2 cups of cooked chicken (canned okay), 1-1/2 cups of cubed ham, 2 cups of small, cooked shrimp, drained, canned salmon alone, or in combination with, 2 cans of tuna, well drained, or just use the tuna alone.

Steps:

• Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain and rinse with cold water. Cool completely. , For dressing, in a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, pickle relish, sugar substitute, mustard, salt and pepper. In a large bowl, combine the macaroni, celery, carrot and onion. Add dressing and toss gently to coat. , Refrigerate until serving. Garnish with egg and paprika.

Steps:

• Cook noodles in a large pot of boiling water until al dente. Rinse under cold water, and drain.
• Mix tuna, onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic powder, mayonnaise, salt and pepper, and mustard together in a large bowl. Add pasta, and mix well.

Steps:

• To make the hard-boiled eggs: Add the eggs to a medium-sized saucepan. Cover with cold water and bring up to a boil over medium heat. Cover with a lid and turn off the heat. Let the eggs sit in the hot water for 14 minutes. Drain and cool under cold running water. Peel the eggs and chop. Reserve.
• While the eggs are cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat and add the macaroni. Cook until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water.
• In a large serving bowl, combine the eggs, ham steak, celery, shallots and lemon juice Add the macaroni and stir to combine.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, pickled relish, and salt and pepper, to taste. Add the dressing to the macaroni and toss to coat. Season with more salt and pepper, if needed. Cover and chill for 2 hours for the flavors to meld.