Enjoy the nostalgic flavors of Classic Macaroni Salad. A staple at potlucks in the South, this pasta salad recipe is an easy and filling side dish!
As a kid, I always feared potlucks. Mainly because I had this weird fear of eating other people’s food. I’m pretty sure this stemmed from a tragic incident when a family potluck yielded some kind of jiggly mess that had fruit loops and other unidentifiable objects in it. I guess that just burned me.
After that, I always stuck to what the folks I knew brought. It often reminds me of that scene in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation when Aunt Bethany shows up with the lime jello mold topped with cat food. Ugh! I’ve gotten better over the years, but there are times when I get a little weak-kneed heading into a potluck.
What is Classic Macaroni Salad?
A potluck in the South just isn’t a potluck without a few staple dishes like macaroni salad, some form of congealed salad, banana pudding, probably a cobbler or two, and enough casseroles to feed an army.
Macaroni salad typically consists of cooked elbow macaroni pasta mixed with a creamy dressing, which may include ingredients like mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, sugar, and various seasonings. My macaroni salad recipe incorporates diced celery, onions, and bell peppers. Other traditional southern macaroni salads may also feature hard-boiled eggs, sweet relish, and/or diced pickles.
Classic Macaroni Salad features a creamy texture with tangy and savory flavors. This is a beloved side dish at most all picnics, barbecues, and potlucks around these parts.
Tips for making the best macaroni salad ever…
- Shock the pasta with cold water immediately after cooking! This stops the cooking and washes off the excess starch to ensure the pasta doesn’t stick together as badly.
- Soak your diced red onion in cool water before adding the dressing! To avoid the flavor of your red onion being too overpowering, soak it in cool water for about 5 minutes. Then drain it and add it to your dressing. This will tone down the sharpness of the onion without changing the flavor.
- Add half the dressing first. Then refrigerate before adding the rest of the dressing. This salad is best after it has some time to rest, but as the pasta will continually absorb the dressing, it can be kinda dry once you’re ready to eat. To combat that, I add about half of the dressing, refrigerate, and then add the rest of the dressing when ready to serve so you get all the yummy creaminess.
- Taste test and add more salt and pepper! As the salad rests, the flavors will change. As a result, I always suggest that you taste the salad and add more salt and pepper to taste right before serving.
Ingredient FAQs
Elbow Macaroni – I suppose you could try a different type of macaroni but I have always used and loved elbow macaroni.
Red Onion – I think red onion is the best choice here because of the flavor and the color, but another type of onion should work.
Celery – Not much to add here except you only need one rib or about 1/3 cup of diced celery.
Green Bell Pepper – You need half of a green bell pepper. Again, I like the green one because of the flavor and color. Each color bell pepper comes with its own unique flavor, but you’re welcome to use another color. The flavor gets sweeter as the color changes from green to yellow to orange to red – with red being the sweetest.
Mayo – And not just any mayo! You know I’m going to recommend my tried and true Duke’s brand mayo. Obviously you can use another brand, but I never use any other kind. Duke’s is superior in my book.
Yellow Mustard – Not brown or spicy mustard… yellow mustard is what I use.
White Vinegar – Any old white vinegar will do the trick!
Salt & Pepper – Yes & Yes, please!
White Sugar – Or, “granulated sugar” if you prefer that title. 😉
Granulated garlic – Granulated garlic is not the same as garlic powder. Granulated garlic has a coarse texture similar to sand. If you can not find granulated garlic, you can use garlic powder as a substitute.
Onion Powder – Any brand or generic will work in this recipe.
Recipe Card
Classic Macaroni Salad
Ingredients
- 3 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
- 1/2 medium red onion, finely diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 rib celery, finely diced (about 1/3 cup)
- 1/2 green bell pepper, finely diced (about 1/3 cup)
- 1 cup mayo (like Duke's)
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 3 tablespoons white vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons white sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- Cook macaroni according to package directions using salted water. Drain and run cool water over the pasta until it is cooled.
- In another bowl stir together mayo, mustard, vinegar, pepper, sugar, salt, garlic, and onion powder. Add the onion, celery, and bell pepper. Mix well.
- In a large bowl, add the pasta and about half of the dressing and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate the pasta and remaining dressing for at least 2 hours.
- When ready to serve, add remaining dressing and toss to coat. Add additional salt and pepper to taste.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
* If nutritional values are provided, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands used. The values do not include optional ingredients or when ingredients are added to taste. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, I recommend grabbing your favorite brands and plugging those ingredients into an online nutritional calculator.
Marie Kinietz
This is a crowd pleaser! I’ve made it several times. Once I had no onions, so I used dried chives instead and it was just fine. The biggest change I had to make because I didn’t have enough Duke’s, so I used Marzetti’s slaw dressing instead of the mayo+ in your recipe. Let me tell you, it was fantastic! So I have a few versions now that I know will satisfy many. Thank you, I love your recipes!
Thanks so much, Marie!
Pam
I added boiled eggs. Tomatoes Relish, and honey instead of sugar
Thanks for sharing your tweaks!
Ginny
I don’t buy red onions. Would it still taste good if I use sweet, yellow, or white onion? Thanx for your help
Sure! the flavor will be a little different, but those will still work.
Jean Erhardt
Great, straightforward and classic. It was a bit hit with family. Making it again this weekend!
Thanks so much, Jean! Making it again is the ultimate compliment!
Beth
Hi, Stacey! Do you ever put some sort of tomato, and creole seasoning in it? It sounds great, and just curious
I don’t normally, but I’ve heard from several readers about them adding tomato with a great success. I can’t imagine a dash of creole seasoning would be bad, either. Enjoy!
Ruth Whitley
Delicious! I added 1/4 c sour cream and 2 Tbl chopped flat parsley. Having no yellow mustard, I used Dijon. Also subbed a whole red pepper for the green. I use what I have.
Sounds great! So glad you enjoyed it!
Kathy
I am wondering if I can add tomato, cucumber and dill pickle to this. Making it for a church dinner tomorrow.
I don’t see why not, Kathy. Enjoy!
Laura
So good!!! We used gluten-free macaroni and it was perfect. First time that my husband has been able to enjoy macaroni salad in years!! Thank you for a great recipe.
So glad y’all were able to make it work and that y’all enjoyed it! What brand gluten free pasta did you use?
Pamela Darlene Woodward
Awesome sauce. I was looking for a Southern sweet recipe and got lucky with the 1st one I read. Very simple indeed. Thank you. Now maybe you can do one on sweet tea and the importance of Orange pekoe leaves and how it’s not an Orange flavor beverage. New York people are ignorant to this. I have to search for Orange peakoe leaves and black tea together. They have mostly just black tea. And 1 with orange peakoe. Unfortunately it’s not tetly but Lipton. But that’s better than nothing. I’m determined to bring Southern cuisine to this 3rd world state. I’m not angry, just starving, hahaha 😆
Ha! Thanks, Pamela! I’m actually working on revamping my sweet tea recipe right now!
THOMAS PARKER
I made this recipe on July 4th and it turned out great like it is, but after trying it, I took was wondering if it would be good making a variation of it by adding tuna. I’ve already bought the ingredients and tuna to try it again. I was thinking about adjusting the amounts for the dressing (the Mayo, mustard, vinegar, and sugar) to give it a little more dressing to make up for the added tuna. I wasn’t going to add any more of the onions, pepper and celery though. I don’t know, those may need to be adjusted too. It’s going to be an experiment.
Sounds like it would work to me! Please let me know how it turns out.
Cait
Hi there! Excited to try this recipe! Is it possible to add tuna? Would I have to adjust any ingredient amounts? Thanks!
I’ve not tried it, but you’re not the only won with this idea. Be sure to check out Thomas’s thought in the previous comment about adding tuna. Let me know how it turns out.
Wren
This is the BEST macaroni salad I’ve ever made! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Thank you, Wren! I sure appreciate your kindness!
Tammie Rugani
Delicious! I was trying to find a recipe that mirrored my moms and yours is as close as it gets! I love the simplicity of it (less is more). The only thing that I did differently was that I substituted diced pimentos for the red pepper, like my mom used to do.
Awww! Thanks so much, Tammi! This put quite a smile on my face!
Fran Brown
great macaroni salad! My father-in-law recently passed at 99. He always ordered macaroni salad as a side at his favorite deli. I made it for my husband for our first summer cookout and he loved it and we wished we could share it with his dad! I used red and yellow pepper and some shredded carrots. So good. We have dubbed it: Joe Brown macaroni salad! Thanks!
What a sweet sentiment! Thanks for sharing, Fran!
Lisa Germano
This is the first time I’ve ever made macaroni salad and I loved it! My husband is a bit of a picky eater and mentioned that it was too vinegary and wet (wanted less mayonnaise). I disagree but each to his own. Will keep this recipe and make again with a few minor adjustments for the hubby.
It looks great, Lisa! You could always take some out for him before you add that last bit of the dressing to keep everyone happy. 🙂
Bob
Hi!! How do I keep my pasta salad from getting too runny? My mom’s never was runny.
I’m going to make your recipe tomorrow.
Suggestions?
Thank you!
Best-Bob
Hey, Bob! Are you referring to your dressing being runny?
Nab
Maybe your macaroni us too wet. If you have a salad spinner, I would out the cooked pasta in the salad spinner. Also, you might be cooking the macaroni too much. It should be so dante, or slightly ubdercooked. (To the bite) because the finished pasta will suck up the creamy sauce, and the excess WILK get runny
Great point!
Lori
I literally just made this taste tested the dressing thought it was too salty, then put it on the macaroni its perfect. In the fridge now
Thanks for trusting the process, Lori! Glad you enjoyed it!
Marlene Chandler
Can I make this using Miracle we don’t like real mayonnaise.
You can, but the flavors will be very different and much sweeter.
Kay Hilscher Thompson
My husband requested macaroni salad like his Mom made. I made yours and he loves it! Could you please clarify for me– 3 cups uncooked macaroni or 3 cups cooked macaroni. Mine came out a little dry ( I cooked 3 cups dry) after leaving it in the fridge overnight and I made a batch of extra sauce and added it the next day and it was great!
The recipe is correct. 3 cups uncooked. Did you use my half dressing before fridge and half dressing before serving trick?
Jane
What is granulated garlic? I have garlic powder. If I use that, do I need to adjust the amount?
In this case, garlic powder will work just fine. Granulated garlic is just a bit coarser.
Jessica
So delicious. It’s a new favorite in my house
Happy to hear that, Jessica!
Ashley K
Great recipe, Stacey! I’ve made it before and going to make it again for a camping trip. Was a huge success last time!
QQ: How long will this keep after I make it?
Glad you enjoyed it! Because the pasta will continuously absorb the dressing, it’s best within the first day or so. It will last longer, but will get pretty dry.
Rich
So many ads and pop ups on this page, impossible to read.
I know they’re frustrating, but I’ve gotta pay the bills. On the bright side, it’s a free recipe for you – no buying a cookbook and paying for a monthly subscription.
Brittany
I made this mac salad for a gathering with friends and when I say it got rave reviews, I mean it! Admittedly, I did prep it the night before so I had to make a second batch of the dressing and poured it on right before serving, but that’s the only change I made. Everyone loved it! I will be keeping this recipe.
Thanks, Brittany! So glad y’all enjoyed it!
Cheryl
Excellent. I veganized it by using 1/2 c. Follow Your Heart Chipotle Vegannaise and 1/2 c. Grape Seed Oil Vegannaise.
Next time, I will try adding peas and green onion.
This was gobbled up entirely by my dinner guests, who raved about it.
Happy to hear everyone enjoyed it!
Cathy
How much dry pasta do you use? Your recipe sounds delicious, but I am making for a crowd and want to use a whole pound. Would love to know what 3 cups cooked pasta is in dry measurements. Thank you.
Hi Cathy! It’s 3 cups of UNcooked pasta. That should be about 3/4 pound. Once cooked, it should measure about 6 cups.
Cathy
Thanks Stacey. I guess I should read before I ask a question. Thank you for you quick response.
No worries! I’m always happy to help!
Sarah Wideman
Delicious! my only addition is celery seed- I think its a must in macaroni salad!
Thanks, Sarah! I love some celery seed!
Natalie
The amount of pop ups on this page make the recipe completely useless.
I’m not sure it’s useless, but I know they can be frustrating. Just please keep in mind you’re getting a free recipe as a result. No cookbook to buy. No subscription to sign up for.
Sose
Hi Stacey! Made your macaroni salad and it tasted excellent, my mom loved it too! The dressing was A-MAZING! Quick question, could you add tomatoes to the recipe as well? 🤔 (I love tomatoes!)
Thanks so much, Sose! And yes, I think you could absolutely add some diced fresh tomatoes to this recipe.
Marsha
Too much vinegar didn’t like at all.
Sorry to hear that it didn’t meet your expectations, Marsha! It certainly does have a vinegary bite, but that’s why I like this version so much.
Angela
Stacey, you rocked it again!! This recipe is DELISH!!! I only did 3 things different, I mixed it all in 1 bowl, and I added hard boiled eggs. I used garlic powder instead. I don’t know how ppl say the ratio of the dressing is off. . Mine was spot on!! Thanks for another fantastic recipe!!
Thanks so much, Angela! I’m so happy to hear it turned out great for you!
Kristin
By far the BEST macaroni salad I’ve ever had/made! I ran out of regular mustard so I used 1/2 tsp Dijon. I skipped the onion, added more salt, and also used garlic powder instead of granulated garlic. So good and the entire family loved it. Thanks for a great recipe!!
You are so welcome! So glad y’all enjoyed it!
Peggy H Tumlin
I made this recipe and it is truly tasty! Comment about treating the red onion is excellent, and salt and pepper before serving is the best tip. Keep on creating, Stacey. I’m Southern and depend on you!
Thank you so much, Peggy! Will do!
Darla Donnenwirth
THIS IS SOooo Goood! Thank you for posting it! Just like my Grandma’s recipe!
Thanks, Darla!
Mike
There was a show on YouTube called “Sh%t Southern Women Say”. On one episode the ladies were at some event and one of them tasted the macaroni salad, scrunched up her face and said, in her sweetest drawl, “Ewwww… she didn’t use Duke’s”.
I like your blog. Thank you.
Ha! Thanks, Mike!
Ann Delong
Great traditional salad. Just right taste.
Thanks, Ann!
Tracie Flynn
Thank you for sharing this recipe. It was the perfect side.
Glad to hear you enjoyed it!
Gary
Stacy, as I have said in earlier comments, my mother’s family were from Southern Appalachia, with a German heritage. This is very close to her pasta salad except that she added diced sweet pickles and a couple of chopped hard boiled eggs. When I was 10 we moved to California, and she added sliced black olives, and used very sweet Fresno Reds as the onions in the recipe.
Those additions sound delicious! Thanks for sharing, Gary!
Doris
Delicious… delicious .. delicious! I add pickle relish to mine as well. BTW… forgive me not getting back to you on the post about the pound cake …. You didn’t know but I was having surgery… total hip replacement. UGH! It was not fun and am just beginning to get around like a normal person. I need a re-do on that other subject. You make my day!!!
Thanks, Doris! Glad to hear you’re feeling better!
Tracy
Delicious! But I have one question. What is the serving size for the nutritional information?
I don’t have the exact size calculated, but rather an estimate of how many folks it will serve on average. Nutritional information and I have a complicated history. While I have started to use a program that calculates estimates, this is my philosophy on the whole thing: https://southernbite.com/heres-why-i-dont-post-nutritional-information-with-my-recipes/
Carol
I’ve made macaroni salad so many times, and something was always off. Always doctoring it and changing it. This one is perfect! Spot on perfect! Wouldn’t change a thing. Thank you!
Thank you, Carol! That is quite the compliment!
Pam
If I were going to make anyone else’s macaroni salad I would follow your recipe. Mine is close but I use buttermilk in place of the vinegar. Never have added sugar and have no plans to, lol. I will use your tip about soaking the purple onions next time I make my salad. I am also going to add yellow mustard, granulated onion, and garlic powder to my next batch. To anyone out there who is looking for a macaroni salad recipe you can’t go wrong with this one.
Thanks so much, Pam!
JimmieLee Davis
PAM,
I would love to hear your recipe with the buttermilk… I love buttermilk.
I love this recipe of Stacy’s… it will become my “go to”.
Linda kotal
My family loves my macaroni salad, changed it up and used your recipe. Big hit almost finished the whole dish. Very easy to make.
Love hearing that! Thanks, Linda!
Catherine
This was a yummy recipe and very easy to make. Thank you!
Thanks, Catherine!
Kristine Goad
Great
Thanks!
Aunt Patti
We have made this salad for at least 5 generations (originally with homemade mayo) except use sweet relish or chopped up bread and butter pickles to counter the strong onion. Bread & butter pickle juice works great instead of vinegar-not so strong. We also use more celery for more crunch. Mom started adding chunks of cheddar cheese back in 1950″s. Dad loved it with roast beef or Spam sandwiches. My Aunt Norma served it on chopped up lettuce bed. We just had it New Years Day with roast beef as we always do. Good memories, Thank you
Thanks, Patti! I appreciate you sharing your version, too!
Sondra Warembourg
Spring is approaching, and I’ve been hungry for a Macaroni salad. I decided to make your salad, and I sampled it, and it’s awesome. Can’t wait for tomorrow to have it with our grilled hamburgers.
Sure hope everyone enjoyed it, Sondra!
Judi
I love this flavor but feel the ratio to dried macaroni is off. 3 cups makes the dressing sparse even with following the directions exactly and squaring off cups. Maybe 2.5 or 2 cups dry? I used small macaroni, maybe large is needed instead? Can the recipe be updated to detail the size macaroni used?
I’ve never had an issue with the ratio, but everyone likes it a little different. You can see from the pictures, it’s pretty well coated. But, you could certainly use less pasta, if you’d like.
Lisa
This is perfect. So simple and creamy! I did add 3 boiled eggs but otherwise didn’t change a thing. Thanks for sharing.
DeNiese Stamps
Awesome Recipe 👌..
Appreciate it!
Dylan
Really really good! We added some sweet relish and substituted only 1tbs of rice vinegar for the white vinegar. So good!
So glad you enjoyed it!
HeidiS
This is a simple recipe to follow but even using a yellow onion (and soaking it) and following the instructions to a “T”, this recipe turns out tasting like pickled onions and nothing more. I consider myself a good cook, so it was a simple recipe to make. There is just way too much vinegar and onion in proportion to the macaroni and dressing. If I tried it again in the future, I would reduce the onion and vinegar both by half. I will comment again if I do try this recipe with adjustments.
Thanks for the input, Heidi. This one normally gets great reviews so I’m sorry to hear you didn’t care for it.
Jeannine Neff Drill
Delicious! Can’t wait to have the rest tomorrow, it only chilled for 30 minutes, but it was very good! I had a red bell pepper instead of green. I will make again! Consistency of dressing was perfect!
So glad to hear it turned out great for you!
Dale Reimer
Try three hard boiled eggs chopped up and add to your recipe.
Thanks for the suggestion!
Barb A. J.
I made this tonight for tomorrow night. I followed everything as written, except I didn’t have celery, so I used Celery Salt 1/4 teaspoon, I added a chopped cucumber & I added a little bit of Red Pepper. Of course we had to try it to figure out if it needed Salt. It didn’t need anything. It’s wonderful tonight. I’m sure tomorrow night it will be fantastic. Trying to wait is hard. Thanks !
Wonderful! So glad to hear it turned out great for you!
Jim
I’ve found that adding diced jalapeños adds a nice kick if you like a little spice with your salad.
Sounds great! Thanks for the idea!
Michelle H
This recipe is the REAL DEAL… just like Mom used to make!
Thanks, Michelle!
Dolly
I have never made a macaroni salad before, only pasta salads. I tried your recipe last week with some additions (left out the bell pepper but added black olives and pimentos. The first day it seemd it was lacking in flavor but day by day it got better and better. The ingredients definately need time to marry together. Am making this again right now! Thanks for sharing this recipe.
I’m so glad you gave it time! Happy to hear you enjoyed it!
Debi
I have everything but red onion. Can I use a yellow onion instead?
Absolutely! Enjoy!
Nadine
HELP! Is there any substitute for the white vinegar if everyone is showing up in half an hour and I only half Apple cider vinegar? 🥹🤦🏼♀️
You could use another vinegar, like apple cider vinegar, white wine or red wine vinegar, or perhaps even some lemon juice.
Jen
Tasked with “pasta salad” for the church bbq today. This dressing is PERFECT. I might now offer to bring it to every bbq! Easy and very tasty. Thank you Stacey!
It looks perfect! So glad you enjoyed it!
Judy Dominguez
Hello Stacy, it’s been so hot here in Arizona and looking for fresh cool meals. Today I made your recipe for the classic macaroni salad, I followed the recipe as written with one exception. I live in the Southwest so we like things in our food with a touch of heat…I added Trader Joe’s “Hot & Sweet Jalapeños” and Oh Yeah took the macaroni salad to another level my family can not resist. Thank you so much, this is the best creamy macaroni salad which is my go to from now on and will be repeated often this summer!!!
Thanks so much, Judy! The jalapenos sound like a delicious addition!
Autumn D
This was super quick and easy to make and it was delicious! I have found my go to macaroni salad recipe!! I made the recipe as written, but didn’t have celery, so I omitted that. So yummy and perfect for summer!
Music to my ears! Glad you enjoyed it!
Stacey
Hello there! I’m Stacey too! Just made this to go with our burgers tonight. I was a little skeptical at first because the mustard (not a big fan) and vinegar. I didn’t have celery so I added some carrots. Well let me tell you – It was delicious! The combination of flavors was spot on! Thanks for a great recipe. I pinned it and will be making it again…..and again….and again!
Hi Stacey!! I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed this salad! I find a lot of macaroni salad to be super bland and boring so I wanted to create one with great flavor!
Elise
Hi Stacey! I’m wondering if sugar in the raw would work in place of the white sugar? I look forward to your response. Thank you!
I don’t see why not.
Leslie Burum
I have never, ever liked macaroni salad. The store bought kind is just plain ole icky to me. Being a chef, you’d think I would find a place in my heart for it……..After making this recipe? I’m such a fan that I ate two bowls and passed some on to a couple of friends! It’s simple, delicious and does not make me think of store bought icky! Thank you for this recipe!!! I LOVE it!
This is quite the compliment! Thanks so much, chef!
Julianne Brinkman
Hi there. Just wondering if you have ever added tuna to your recipe? My mom always made hers pretty much like yours but added tuna. I haven’t made hers in a long time, but going to try this with tuna.
I’ve not done that, but I think it would work just fine here.
Lisa
Very good! Will make again! Used garlic salt instead of plain salt. I was not a fan of macaroni salad until I tried this recipe.
That’s some serious praise! So glad to hear you enjoyed it!
Stacy
I’ve always looked for a good macaroni salad and, as usual, Stacey’s recipe was perfect! It is so delicious! Definitely keeping this one!
Awww! Thank you!!
Brittany
I made this for the Fourth of July and it was a huge hit! I made the recipe for 16 servings and it was completely gone by the end of the night! Everyone was asking for this recipe.
Love hearing that!!
Virginia
Best macaroni salad I have ever had. My family and friends always asks me to make this!
Thanks so much, Virginia!
Elaine Schlobohm
I was never a fan of macaroni salad until I came across this recipe. Now, have made it several times to huge success. I plan to make it tomorrow for our 4th celebration. The dressing is scrumptious.
Thank you, Elaine! I’m so glad you enjoyed this version!
Peggy Christy
So far so tasty! Tomorrow I’ll be adding the other half of the dressing and serving it for our 4th of July/family birthday celebration. We just taste tested and it passed with flying colors!! Thanks!
Great news! Hope everyone enjoyed it!
Theresa
Looking forward to making this in a few minutes for a special surprise party tomorrow. Just wondering if anyone ever put hard boiled eggs in the salad?
Sarah
Yes absolutely!! I made a batch I added 4 eggs diced. I also added diced tomatoes and cucumbers.
You can totally add the eggs here.
Debbie
I just made this salad and it was wonderful! Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Of course! Glad to hear you enjoyed it!
Katherine Caruso
This is wonderful! I have been looking for a Southern macaroni salad.
Thank your so much for generously sharing this recipe.
You bet! Hope you’ll enjoy it!
Martha
Great taste, recipe was easy to follow and the results were amazing
Thanks, Martha!
Cookee
Just a quick funny story on cooking cleanliness. My Dad was a stickler on clean hand in cooking and before going to the table. He was also not above leaving a restaurant showing unsanitary practices, including a waitress licking her fingers to separate placemats or menus, and he better not see an employee leave a restroom with out washing…With Soap!! And yep, I’m the same way. One step further, I usually cook and prep food with gloves because I can’t handle foods that are wet, sticky, greasy or smelly on my hands. Don’t like lotions or hand/face creams either.
Just my personal craziness. Love Y’all!!
😂😂😂
Karen
I had a recipe that I used for years and I liked it but it did have an aftertaste. I decided to try a new one and picked yours from Pinterest. I cannot tell you how many people love this macaroni salad and have asked for the recipe! Saturday I made a triple batch, one for my grandson’s birthday party and a double batch for our church picnic. More requests came for the recipe! I’ll be checking out more of your recipes after the success I had with this one!
Thanks, Karen! So glad that you enjoyed it!
Robbie Anderson
Understand & agree Susan!! 👍👍
Robbie Ray Anderson
I gotcha!!
Robbie Anderson
My wife had a school nurse friend many years back that always brought food for staff get-togethers. One day we went to her house to pick some black eyed peas and went inside afterwards. She had a big ole cat walking around on top of her kitchen countertops and another was sleeping in a big empty pot sitting on top her stove. Needless to say her food was avoided like the plague!
Susan
Same here! My husband and I went to my boss’s house for an afternoon gathering. She had a beautiful spread on the kitchen counter, but unfortunately it was summertime in central Florida. The smell of food attracted every fly in town 🪰🪰🪰🪰
Needless to say, we both backed away from the buffet. 🤠
Ugh! And see! This is my point. 🙂
Harriet
I have your cookbook that has this recipe, but not the notes you give in your email posts. I always add your notes because they are helpful things that I might not remember otherwise. Love my cookbook and your helpful suggestions.
Thanks, Harriet! I try to get as much as I can in these posts to ensure every recipe turns out successfully!
Susan
That is the same exact recipe I have been using for years and I wouldn’t change a thing!
Love, love, love your recipes and clever stories!
Put some SOUTH IN YOUR MOUTH, everyone. 😋
Thank you so much, Susan!
Kathy
My mother taught me to put mustard in our macaroni salad dressing. Best Foods Mayonnaise-California, Heinz Apple Cider Vinegar, French’s Mustard, salt, pepper, and if Pops had his way, some sweet pickle juice. Elbow macaroni-NOT salad macaroni, diced pimentos, chopped sweet pickles, hand-chopped black olives. We had to start chopping whole sweet pickles when we could no longer get sliced sweet pickles. Annoying, and sweet pickle relish just did not work. It’s a moot point now, as I have now become allergic to cucumbers (and melons, and squash). Macaroni salad, tartar sauce, and other things are just not the same without pickles in them. Candied jalapeños do substitute fairly well. Except for Orzo and Acini de pepe, I now cook my pasta in one of those microwave pasta cookers. It’s faster, and way less messy. You will pry mine out of my cold, dead, fingers. 8)
Ugh! I hate to hear about the allergy. I’m not sure what I’d do without pickles! 🙂
Kathy
It’s tough. I miss them a lot. I had no idea a famous chicken sandwich place marinated their chicken in dill pickle juice. I found out accidentally just before they built one in my town. That was a lucky break.
I bet! I’m not sure what I’d do without pickles and my chicken sandwich!!
Melanie
Why do all summer salads come with Sugar……..I am not into sweets will this taste as good without the sugar and vinegar?
I’m not sure how it’d tastes without the sugar and vinegar. I’ve never made it that way. Two teaspoons isn’t really enough to make it sweet, but you could certainly leave it out.
Cookee
Maybe try a more savory dressing. Add a little Ranch dressing or Italian dressing. You don’t need sugar but you do need taste so try mustard added to Mayo also. Summer is all kinds of salads that not necessarily with sugar and or vinegar. Everyone’s taste is different. Have a beautiful summer and hope you find some yummy salads you like or love.
Haley
Did you make this without the sugar?
larry
I love the picture of your macaroni salad which is delicious. Truly awesome. I give it 5 gold stars. I’m to make it again adding a can of tuna fish with a cup of dried cranberries.
Thank you for the recipe.
You are so welcome! Thanks for the kind words, Larry!
Cookee
Yum…that sounds like some great add-ins! Thanks!
Janelle
Great classic recipe. I made it with vegan mayo for a potluck and it was a big hit. Thanks a bunch!! Only thing I changed was adding a half cup of diced red bell pepper for a little more color.
Great idea! So glad y’all enjoyed it!
Courtney
I have to agree with the lady that said the sauce was too vinegary. I also thought the mustard was an unnecessary addition and really overpowering.
Sorry it didn’t run out as you expected. Did you add some extra mayo to balance it out?
Beverly Blackwelder
People not from the South just don’t get it…lol…vinegar makes sooo many things taste better. Think NC barbecue and vinegary sauce!!! And the comment on mustard! My goodness, mustard makes macaroni salad, potato salad, deviled eggs taste so much better. You can definitely tell who’s not from the South in these comments and ratings!! Enjoy your blog….., you are most definitely a Southern cook!!! Thanks!!
Thanks for the endorsement, Beverly! 🙂
Cookee
Oh Beverly, don’t think that vinegar, and I want to add sugar to that list too, is solely a celebrated Southern tradition. Just follow those traditions right up the gorgeous Atlantic Ocean Seaboard take a left into the beautifully seafood abundant Chesapeake Bay with our magnificent hard Working watermen and you will find a lot of locals cooks throwing their hooks/hands into vinegar and sugar for yummy Bay side salads of pasta, seafood, potato etc salads and steamers of Chesapeake **Blue Crabs. Now go back out the Bay to the Ocean and follow the shoreline up through the Mid Atlantic and Chesapeake Bay of Maryland and Delaware and you will find a huge lot of home grown cooks who compliment in a very similar way to the Southern way you mention. But we call ourselves and our recipes those of the Eastern Shore or DelMarVa Peninsula and come from the generations of cooks who treasure OUR recipes too. We all have a commonality that we share with others cooks from Maine to Florida on this great East Coast. We have all, through the last century and the electronic age, melted together into a lovely blend of the greatest generations of cook now looking to share and teach our love ones and others in this new 21st century. Enough Said!! Love to all the Sweet and Sour Cooks of The Great Atlantic And Bays of the East Coast! Hugs!! Cookee
Laura
I have no idea why that lady in the review was being a troll and complaining there was too much vinegar. If she made it correctly (which I’m guessing she did not) it would have been delicious! I made this for a bbq and everyone loved it! Thank you for the recipe!!!
Glad to hear you enjoyed it, Laura!
Carol McKiernan
Excellent macaroni salad.
Thanks!
Mary
Great dish! Everyone loved it! I added a tiny bit more sugar as i had a little more macaroni. Really good! Thanks!!
This is such a classic Southern dish! So glad that you love it too!
Mike Crosby
Super easy, love it! By the time the pasta cooked everything was pulled out and done!
So glad it was easy!
Amber
This was awful! It should be like 1 tbsp vinegar. It literally tasted like straight up vinegar. I tried fixing it but ended up throwing the whole thing out which was very annoying
Unfortunately I can’t suit every taste. It’s had great reviews otherwise. Are you sure you used the correct amount of vinegar? Did you taste the dressing before adding it to the pasta and other ingredients?
Cookee
Hooray Stacey…We should know that we all have different tastes, and of course you may need to change a recipe to suit your family. Stacey has always been open and welcoming to changes and tips his followers make on his recipes. As a follower I love to read the Great recipes that Stacey shares so kindly with us, but I also love to read the comments from others to get wonderful ideas and gain knowledge on many recipes. Negative comments on recipes are not needed but should be in the form of suggestions made helpful for the similar interests of others.
Thank you Stacey for being so open and non judgmental to the comments on your site. You are truly a loving and kind person. I love all your recipes and for sharing so openly your love of cooking.
Cookee
Thanks, Cookee! I always appreciate constructive criticism. We all don’t like things the exact same way.
Rover
How many calories ?? For like a cup ??
Thanks
I don’t keep track of nutritional information as it can vary widely based on specific brands of products used. You can choose the products you’d want to use and plug them in to something like MyFitnessPal.com to find the exact nutritional stats you’re looking for.
Holly C
this has been my go-to salad for memorial day & 4th of july for 30 years! because of this classic recipe, my kids & grandkids dont like anyone elses salad! i do, though, add fine-diced carrot to give it a little “sweetness” (i use kraft mayo instead of dukes) i never even heard of dukes till i moved to texas. this is how my mother made it, so i stuck to the same way. and i read someone said they add the macaroni warm-i do that too 🙂
holly
and happy 4th to everyone!
Happy 4th, Holly!!
Mom’s way is always the best way, right!?
Donna Bush
This recipe is delicious. The perfect macaroni salad! Next time I may add some steamed shrimp cut into bite size pieces. Thanks for the recipe, keep ‘em coming! Also, congratulations on the building of your families new home!
Thanks so much, Donna! I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed this and I love the idea of adding in some shrimp!
Beth Dickson
I had a friend in NC who make ham salad, but also make salad out of bologna. Her family called the bologna salad “party meat”!
That was the first time I have heard of that!
Beth D.
I’ve never heard it called party meat! Interesting!
Becky
As a person who has experienced food poisoning from our church camp meeting a few years ago I am with you… I now only eat the food from the people that I KNOW share my kitchen standards…. ????????♀️
It’s awful, right???
Bobbie deRuiter
Stacy, My mother used to make ham salad and believe it or not she sometimes made it out of bologna and it was good, but I remember she would use a solid roll of bologna. Have you ever done this? And, if so tell me.
Bobbie
bderuiter2256@gmail.com
Hi Bobbie! I’ve not done it myself, but am quite familiar with it!
Sherry
Your tomatoe & cracker salad is just Awesome! I will be trying your Macaroni Salad. Thank you!
Thanks so much, Sherry! I sure hope you enjoy it!
Lynn
Boy howdy, you hit the nail on the head regarding staple dishes at a southern potluck! ???? Thanks for this mac salad recipe, always looking for good recipes to add to my potluck folder!! Have a blessed Easter.
LOL! Enjoy!
Cynthia A. Greenfeather
My husband’s not a pasta fan at all, (must be from another planet, right?) so I almost never make macaroni salad. Never would have thought to put mustard in it. I might just try that sometime. Years ago, I had macaroni salad at a friend’s house, and it was made with boxed macaroni and cheese. It was really good! I made some for a family picnic, and my ex-husband’s grandfather, who LOVED pasta any way, shape or form, HATED it! Oh, well, can’t win ’em all.
adam4adamn mobile
First off I would like to say excellent blog! I had a quick question which I’d like to ask if you don’t mind.
I was curious to find out how you center yourself and clear your mind before
writing. I’ve had a hard time clearing my mind in getting my ideas out.
I do take pleasure in writing however it just seems like the
first 10 to 15 minutes are generally lost simply just trying to figure out how to begin. Any suggestions or hints?
Many thanks!
Sharon Norton
My Nanny made Macaroni Salads all the time.Her key ingredient was Thousand Island Dressing.I may have to give yours a try and see how I like it.I’ll have to add eggs and a little bit of pickles and juice too.You can’t go wrong with any of the salads in summer.
You are so right! The thousand island dressing sounds great!
Dorothy Dunton
Hey Stacey! I grew up o church potluck dinners! My biggest fear now is the “all you can eat” places where who knows when it was cooked and how long it has been sitting there! I won’t go there!
I do have an aversion to buffet for those exact reasons. 🙂
Kentucky Lady 717
Aren’t you a friend of “SOUTHERN PLATE” Christy who has a blog ? Seems I remember her talking about you or maybe you were on one of her videos….am I right ?
What part of the South are you from ? I like your food, you cook a lot like I do ….when I cook 🙂
I make my potato salad like you except I use boiled eggs, but I mash the yolks before I add them to the salad…..don’t care for chunks of egg yolk…..
And I too am very picky about pot lucks…..I avoid them…..you never know who cooked what and if their kitchen looks like the hoarders LOL…..I have this fear too…..
I worked with this lady who lived with her mother and brother and they had a couple of big dogs, and she would come to work with dog hairs all over her coat and it smelled like the dogs had slept on it, and she would always bring homemade goodies to work, and I don’t think many people ate any……certainly not me……..she just did not look like a clean person…..you usually can tell……and I can tell…….
Oh, yes! Christy and I are great friends. IN fact, she wrote the foreward for my cookbook. I’m a lifelong Alabama resident.
Trish Casey
Love your stories and I can relate to almost everyone. My mom was the one at ever dinner on the grounds at Church that would run point and tell me what to eat and not to eat. Now I work in a family owned restaurant that makes everything homemade. I love what you do.
Thanks, Trish!
Jen from bham
Omgosh! I cannot believe I JUST found you Stacey! Where have you been all my life?!?! Your recipes are amazing…..right up my alley. I have been reading your fb page, website and blog for over an hour. I’m so happy I found you!!! I have your cookbook in my Amazon cart. After this comment I’m heading to Amazon to buy your book!!!!! I cannot wait to receive it. Thanks, Stacey! I can’t wait to get cookin’.
War Eagle!
Ha! These types of comments just make my day! Welcome, Jen!! I’m so glad you’ve found lots that you like here! Thanks so much for your support!! War Eagle!!! (Sorry for all the exclamation points. I’m Just excited!)
Jen from bham
This is just great! I’m still looking around and have a grocery store list 3 miles long. Your stories are excellent and I can relate in so many ways. You are very inspiring and I look forward to watching your success. It’s ” normal” people like you that make a difference. Thank you for sharing your stories and delicious recipes.
You are so sweet. Thanks so, so much!
Keri Stonecipher
This was REALLY good! My hubby loved it and he is very picky!! Thank you for the recipe!
You are welcome!
Melba
When fixing eggs for potato salad use the microwave..cuts down on time..I take 3 eggs and crack them into a glass bowl,stir them just to mix yolks and whites and then nuke them for 15 seconds…stir and nuke again 15 more second and stir again and nuke till they are fluffy and all the liquid is cooked..them I smash them up good and put them in the mix of Mayo and pickle rellish and seasoning.Stir that and then add my potatoes…a lot quicker than boiling and peeling eggs..
Fritzi Schnitzer
That’s awesome! I crack mine in a pyrex pie dish, stir to barely marble them, nuke, then cut em up with a pastry blender. So much easier than fighting with stubborn clingy shells! I put hard cooked eggs in anything I can get away with. Green bell peppers, though, are essential to any self respecting Southern macaroni salad. Oh, and Duke’s, of course. Sugar is the miracle ingredient.
Amen, Fritzi! Thanks for sharing!
melissa
wow, thanks for sharing
Paige
What’s up with the KRAFT mayo???
LOL!! You know I’m loyal to my Duke’s mayo, but Kraft was buy one get one free… I just couldn’t pass it up!
Cynthia A. Greenfeather
I saw that, too! I tried dukes once, and I liked it. To me, it’s a cross between miracle whip and Hellmans. Hellmens is so bland, but so nice and rich. miracle whip is tangy, but too sweet. I almost always use both together, unless I’m looking just for a tangy flavor. My husband loves miracle whip, or I’d probably just buy dukes.
Eunyoung Lee
How many ounces is 3 cups of macaroni?
I ran down to the test kitchen and measured and it look like 3 cups by volume equals roughly 14 ounces by weight. Hope that helps!
Elizabeth
Now that you have posted your delicious macaroni salad recipe I’m hoping you will post your potato salad, tuna salad, egg salad and chicken salad you mentioned. I love all kinds of these salads for summer picnics we have for our growning family reunions. But I love tuna salad, egg salad and chicken salad the best for everyday sandwiches. You are such a good cook and I have enjoyed making most of your recipes.
Karen
This hits home with me. I am very picky about whose food I eat. I had an uncle who, at family reunions, would only eat what my mother or I would take. I am a very clean cook, I am very careful and my hands are washed a dozen times. I usually take baked beans and a casserole or two, plus cake or pie and naturally sweet tea!
Cynthia A. Greenfeather
I’m a nurse, so I wash my hands multiple times when I cook, and if I go to a potluck prepared by people I don’t know, I’m always leery, and apt to only eat what I bring, or the foods that have to be thoroughly cooked. Over the years, I’ve made home visits to people who had cockroaches and we’re very unclean, but were the sweetest people you’d ever want to know. More than once, they’ve given me cookies to take with me. I couldn’t bring myself to eat them, because of the possible cockroach contamination. But I confess, Iam a TERRIBLE housekeeper, but as I said, I wash my hands many times while cooking, and even though my house is a mess, I am very careful when it comes to cooking. Thank goodness I never carried any cockroaches home with me. (I used to pray that none would get caught in my supplies or clothing while I made home visits. God ALWAYS answered my prayers). Happy cooking!
Mary
My Aunt Nancy’s corn salad is always a hit.
Tina
Sounds delicious! I have never put mustard in my macaroni salad but I sure look forward to trying it!!
Usually I bring dessert of some sort to a potluck. Death by chocolate, biscotti,or toffee are a couple of favorites!!
cndy S
wow this is different for me. I make mine just like this but have always added boiled eggs. I also use a lot of boiled eggs in my potato salad. More than most folks. I just realized that was probably because we had chickens and in the summer were overrun with eggs and most people we knew had their own chickens. We did what we could to use them up. Lasagna, broccoli salad, strawberry spinach salad, usually brownies. All easy and yummy! I also make a lot of macaroni salads with different shapped pasta and raw veggies that are non mayo dressing usually Italian. If I use seashells and mayo I usually had a couple of cans of tuna (and yes, boiled eggs) 🙂
I’m a big boiled egg fan, too! I love ’em in potato salad, tuna salad, chicken salad, egg salad (of course!), all types of green salads, just by themselves… Wait, I’m starting to sound like Bubba on Forrest Gump… fried shrimp, boiled shrimp, shrimp cocktail… LOL!
JaneM
I love eggs, period. Especially, soft boiled eggs with buttered toast. The hard part is getting the eggs boiled just right because I love a runny yolk but don’t want any semi-congealed white.
Cynthia A. Greenfeather
Not any more! America’s test kitchen has a 100% FOOLPROOF way to make PERFECT soft boiled eggs! You can Google it and it’s on lot of free sites now, but if you want to make 1 soft boiled egg or a dozen, you boil an inch of water, add the eggs with a spoon or tongs so that they don’t crack, and you don’t burn. Put the lid on, turn the eggs down so the waters gently boiling (must continue to boil so steam is maintained), cook for 6 1/2 minutes, EXACTLY. Remove from heat, rinse in cold water so you can handle them, and crack them open and eat. Use large eggs, not med or extra large.
Eric Uneberg
You absolutely nailed it with this recipe!
This is the first time making a macaroni salad and it is wonderful.
Can’t wait for the wife to come home from her nursing job to taste the salad AND your rib recipes!
Thank you for sharing this.
Thanks so much! Hope y’all enjoyed it all!
Tom
Ha I could write a book on church mystery foods S I was the dare devil taster in my family always sampling other peoples food. This recipe is close to my moms except she added extra mayo, one vidalia with one red onion, some sweet pickle juice and diced sweet pickles, small mini blocks of sharp cheddar or colby jack cheese. So many versions of this came across my plate with small chopped blocks of ham, chopped chicken, cooked smoked bacon, large green peas or beans.
You’re a brave kid to serve as the taster! Love the idea of adding the chunks of cheese and meats!
Dorothy Dunton
Your Mom fed you right! I add whatever I have in the frig to it. Love peas and ham added!
Becki @ Becki's Whole Life
Too funny. My husband hates potlucks and I have always loved them because I like to try different recipes. I think its a germ thing for him…or unknown preparation methods…love this Mac salad – classic and full of all the right flavors!
Tommajean
When I take anything to potlucks I always list ingredients like dairy, nuts, eggs, or anything unusual, and tape it to the front of the dish. Better safe than sorry. I usually take baked beans, or potato salad, and almost always take cake. I spent 20 years baking and decorating cakes, and while I no longer do fancy decorating, people still request my icing.
Elizabeth
Tommajean:
I would love to have your fancy decorating icing recipe. I love the bakery icing but cannot find a good recipe for it so far for my cakes. Hope you can share it.
Jane S.
Here’s a quick hint- just rinse your macaroni briefly, not until completely cooled (you want it still kinda hot). Sprinkle with part of your vinegar and mix well. Then let it cool. The vinegar will season the macaroni while it is still warm, making your salad even yummier! This works the same with potato salad as well!
I always, always have to make hash brown casserole or broccoli salad, and never carry any home!
Great suggestion!! Thanks for sharing, Jane!
Kathi
I have always poured about 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar over my hot potatoes for potatoe salad – my gram’s recipe – but never thought about doing it over macarini. Will definately have to try that. Thanks Jane.
Hope you love it!
THERESA ALLEN
If you want a great summer surprise for this Mac salad toss in some chunks of you choice of imitation crab, imitation lobster, med sized cooked shrimp or turn it Cajun with some crumbled andouille sausage or diced crayfish tails and a teaspoon of Cajun spice. It will be the first bowl emptied.
Great way to jazz this up! Thanks for sharing!
Danielle D.
Everyone loves for me to bring my Aunt Sue’s Orange Juice cake (guest posted on Southern Plate). It is so good and moist. Being lactose intolerant, potlucks always make me a bit nervous as well because I can’t stop and ask about every dish. I usually have to steer clear of the creamy casseroles and most desserts but there is always so much food, I never leave hungry.