Simple Macaroni Salad

If you are looking for a simple macaroni salad recipe then you have come to the right place.  We are sharing one of our favorite and very colorful macaroni salad recipes today.

Made with elbow macaroni, roasted red peppers, black olives, dill pickles, green onions, and yellow bell pepper, this Simple Macaroni salad brings a beautiful “confetti” of colors and flavors to your table. It’s a classic, crowd-pleasing macaroni salad that’s easy to make and always a hit at BBQs, picnics, and potlucks.

I remember my mom always made macaroni salad for every barbecue we did as a child.  Beans, Potato salad, and a macaroni salad were always on our picnic table for those summer cookouts or picnics.    And we never called it pasta salad, it was always called macaroni salad.   But I’m not sure we ever said pasta either in our house either.    I grew up in the Southwestern United States and my mother was from Arkansas so I’m not sure if the term “pasta” was ever used.     I know my mom never made anything pasta except spaghetti so it was either spaghetti or macaroni on the table.

Equipment Needed:

• Pasta cooker or large pot
• Colander
• Large Bowl

How to make Simple Macaroni Salad:

• Cook the Macaroni–Cook the elbow macaroni according to the package directions until al dente. Once cooked, drain the pasta and rinse it thoroughly under cold water until completely cool. This stops the cooking process and prevents the salad from becoming mushy. Drain well, shaking off any excess water, then set aside.
• Make the Dressing In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, celery salt, salt, and black pepper until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed — this simple dressing brings all the flavors together.
• Assemble the Salad In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled macaroni, chopped roasted red peppers, sliced black olives, diced yellow bell pepper, sliced green onions, and chopped dill pickles.
• Mix and Chill Pour the prepared dressing over the macaroni and vegetables. Gently stir everything together until all the ingredients are evenly coated with the dressing. Be careful not to overmix so the vegetables stay nice and crunchy.
• Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour. This chilling time allows the flavors to meld beautifully.

Pro Tip: This salad tastes even better the next day! Feel free to make it ahead of time and give it a quick stir before serving.

We loved it when mom packed a picnic basket and we ate outside.  We would go to a local park and eat at one of the picnic tables or she would spread a picnic blanket on the ground.    It always made even a sandwich special but again, my mom was old-school so it was usually fried chicken.     It was a classic picnic complete with checkered tablecloth, a thermos of tea or kool-aid (the old school kind), metal drinking glasses and a plastic container of homemade dessert usually brownies.  Dad would make up some kind of mystery adventure such as a lost gold mine or a lost stash of gold.   We never found the treasure but it was so exciting to think that we just might.     These were such Good memories that didn’t cost my parents very much but were priceless to us. It doesn’t take much to make those lasting memories with children.   All it takes is a picnic lunch and a lively sense of imagination.

Other Salad Recipes:

• Chicken Salad
• Southern Egg Salad and variations
• Bow Tie Antipasta Salad with mozzarella
• Broccoli Crunch Salad with Dried Cranberries