Macaroni Salad

When you think of classic dishes, especially for cookouts and potluck, macaroni salad ranks high on the list. Home cooks enjoy the ease of making it. Plus, you know you’ll usually have little in the way of leftovers.

For foodies out there who may want to spice up their macaroni salad game, there are a lot of things you can add to the mix, including

Apple - Baby shrimp - Bacon

Balsamic vinegar - Basil - Broccoli florets

Buttered bread crumbs - Cheese bits - Coarse ground mustard

Cherry tomatoes - Dill - Ham

Lemon zest - Olives - Peas (fresh)

Paparoni - Pickle pieces or juice - Pineapple

Scallions - Shredded chicken - Tuna

Some day make a small, plain macaroni salad and see what additions you like. Gather up a dollop, stir in the new component, taste, and you’re done. Make a note of what you prefer for a later date.

Ingredients

2 cups cooked pasta (slightly al dente)
½ cup diced green pepper
½ cup diced celery
½ cup diced red onion
2 cloves of garlic minced (optional)
2 hard-boiled eggs, diced
¾-1 cup mayonnaise
¼ cup sour cream
1 tbsp vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp coarse mustard
¼ tsp fresh ground salt & pepper
¼ tsp onion powder
¼ tsp garlic powder
⅛ tsp each mustard seed & celery seed

Instructions

When you cool the macaroni, drizzle just a hint of olive oil in it and toss. The noodles won’t stick together as badly.
Place the noodles along with the veggies, garlic, and eggs in a large bowl.
Give them a good stir.
In another bowl combine the remaining ingredients.
Whisk
Slowly pour the wet blend into the noodles, making sure to coat everything evenly.
Chill overnight (it really makes a difference in flavor)
Stir again before serving. If you find it a little dry, just ad mayo. This is also the perfect opportunity to adjust your spices.