Macaroni Salad (recipe)

A certain someone (who shall remain nameless) had a birthday recently and requested ribs, macaroni salad and carrot slaw for dinner. I was only too happy to oblige, seeing as how I show love through food. Plus, the Macaroni salad will also serve as my entry in this month’s Grow Your Own blogging event, which I am hosting! That would be a two-fer in my book.

Macaroni Salad

Macaroni Salad

Inspired by Simply Recipes, Mom’s Macaroni Salad

• 1 pound elbow macaroni, cooked using instructions on package, rinsed in cold water and drained
• 1/2 cup chopped bread and butter pickles
• 1/4 cup pimentos (can substitute roasted red peppers)
• 1/4 cup red onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup parsley, chopped
• 1 TBS lemon juice
• 1/2-3/4 cup of light mayonnaise
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 TBS Dijon mustard
• Salt and pepper to taste

Mix macaroni, pickles, pimento, red onion, and parsley in large bowl. In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, lemon juice, paprika and Dijon mustard. Pour over macaroni mixture and toss well. Add salt and pepper. Chill until ready to serve.

Note: I made this the night before, and the day I was going to serve it, I noticed that the salad was kind of dry. The pasta seemed to have soaked up all of the mayo I added! I added more until a creamy consistency was achieved.

This salad is posted as part of the Grow Your Own blogging event, as the red onions came from my garden this winter, parsley growing on my porch, and a batch of bread and butter pickles I made last summer.