This is a salad that everyone seems to love. I always get lots of compliments on this recipe and it is just a pleasing taste that seems to suit everyone.

Classic Macaroni Salad

elbow macaroni

mayonnaise

white vinegar

white sugar

mustard

salt

black pepper

onion,

celery,

green bell pepper,

carrot

pimento peppers

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni, and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Rinse under cold water and drain.


In a large bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, mustard, salt and pepper. Stir in the onion, celery, green pepper, carrot, pimentos and macaroni. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving, but preferably overnight.


Made this exactly as directed and found it to be not at all too sweet.  I have switched from using the elbow macaroni to a whole 16 oz box of rotini and the amount of sauce is still enough.  I have found that making the sauce the day before and then adding it to the chilled macaroni just before serving makes a creamier salad and it isn't absorbed by the pasta.  Love it love it love it!

I am rating this recipe 5 stars because the basis for the dressing is SO good!!  I did make some changes, but I think it is just a very versatile recipe.  I used miracle whip instead of mayo, apple cider vinegar instead of white and half the sugar called for.  I used white onion (I didn't have any red ones, although I would have preferred that!!) and some cold left over frozen sweet peas as the ones in the can would be too mushy.  I used cucumber, and chopped boiled egg.  I made this at the last minute, as we decided to grill burgers on our grill, even though we are thigh deep in snow! Hahah!!  It was great even after 45 minutes in the fridge, but it was creamy.  We ate leftovers for lunch today and loved it even more!  Will definitely make again.  I have a family of 5 and by cutting the recipe in half, we didn't have too much leftover!

This is a great recipe.  Like others, I added 3 hard-boiled eggs.  I cut the sugar back to 1/4 cup and the vinegar by half.  I then added 2 and 1/2 tablespoons of sweet pickle relish and 1 teaspoon of garlic powder.

Great macaroni salad and definitely classic picnic food!  Everyone has their own take on these types of things and I adjusted this to my own taste preferences as well.  I used lite mayo and cut the sugar down to 1/4 cup.  I used 2 Tbsp. of mustard, one yellow and one dijon and next time I might cut back on that just a bit.  I added 1/2 tsp. of garlic powder and 4 hard boiled eggs.  I left out the green pepper and used a bunch of chopped green onions.  I did add the carrots and a 5 oz. jar of drained and chopped green olives with pimento peppers.  This reminds me a lot of what my Grandma used to make every summer.

Well I went ahead and made this according to the author after reading the reviews saying it was to sweet because I tend to like savory things sweetened a little. This was disgustingly sweet to the point of tasting like it was a macaroni dessert. Everything else was ok but the dish was ruined due to the sugar content. I'd start with a few tablespoons maybe up to 1/4 of a cup but the original amount was WAY to much.

i think the dressing is fantastic.  it's a little sweet, a little zingy from the vinegar, a little mustardy, it all blends well.  i truly love it... just not on macaroni.  i think the dressing would be a star on potatoes... to make potato salad.  also, next time i'll just add a splash of vinegar because it made my dressing runny rather than creamy.  --- UPDATE --- i tried the dressing again with potatoes and it was heavenly!  all i did was decrease the sugar portion to about half a cup... yum yum.  (just a note - after a day, the sweetness cuts down.)

Used only ¼ cup of sugar…that was plenty. Also added a decent amount of paprika and garlic powder. Also, I would recommend using the diced pimentos- they really add a lot of flavor and color. Be sure to refrigerate overnight, it is much better the next day.

Classic is the key word here ... nothing to pretty it up, nothing to add additional flavors, nothing to create a "change" ... just a perfect, classic recipe everyone will love!  I not only think its perfect as is, but is also the best base for getting crazy with your own preferences.  Here are a few suggestions/hints I have found to be helpful ... some reviews have mentioned it too runny, too sweet, too much onion, or needing some chopped egg, I personally found the "runny" dressing to substancially thicken up overnight in the fridge, but if you are serving within an hour or two of making, I'd suggest tossing with partial dressing and saving the rest to add if necessary just prior to serving that way you control the wetness.  I actually prefer adding a bit of dressing to give it a little fresh kick just before the serve.  As for the sugar, I have found a little less is needed if you use white vinegar and mayo, but all is needed if using apple cider and miracle whip. It also aids in the consistency of the dressing.  To somewhat counter the bite of the onion I chop it a bit fine to blend in better as I'm not a fan of chunky onion bites, but certainly using less is an easy fix. As for the chopped egg, its one of those preference things but often a "must" for some so throw it in there. Same with adding cheese, or mini shrimp, or other veggies, there is no limit to personalizing this perfect start.  But, for a fresh, classic macaroni salad, you won't go wrong with "as is" either!

I have a recipe similar to this one.
My only calls for 1 Tblsp mustard and no peppers. My family loves it and requests it for family get togethers.

See how to make a classic macaroni salad.

classic macaroni salad

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total: 4 hours, 30 minutes

Servings: 10

Author : Graden

Ingredients

Instructions

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