Macaroni Salad – pasta, cheddar cheese, diced ham, and peas in a creamy dressing. A classic side dish that is always a hit!
Okay, first up, HAPPY THURSDAY! It’s almost Friiiiday!
Second, my blog will not exist from this coming Sunday night until the following Tuesday morning. So if you’re anticipating needing that Smoky Margarita recipe on Monday afternoon, get it now!
Do what I do, take a iPhone picture of the recipe ingredients and then try to figure out exactly what you’re supposed to do with them later.
It makes for a fun game. Sometimes it ends horribly but hey, you win some, you lose some.
I’ll remind you guys again tomorrow just in case.
And finally, macaroni salad!
I hate macaroni salad. My husband is obsessed with the grocery store deli kind that doesn’t taste like anything. Like, it doesn’t even taste like pasta. It’s just nothing.
Or at least I think so.
But I made this macaroni salad last summer for the first time and I think I’ve made it 10 times since then. It’s become our go-to side dish for anything grilled. It’s super flavorful and I love the big chunks of ham and cheese. Give it awhile to sit though or it will just taste like pasta coated in mayonnaise. Once it hangs out in the fridge for awhile though? The best macaroni salad ever! And the only one you’ll catch me eating.
Macaroni Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound small pasta, macaroni, shells, rotini, etc.
- 1 ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons mustard
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ground black pepper
- 1 cup ham steak, cut into small cubes
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes
- ⅔ cup frozen peas, thawed
Instructions
- Prepare macaroni to al dente according to package directions. After macaroni is cooked, drain and rinse in cold water. Once macaroni has cooled down, drain well.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, mustard, sour cream, apple cider vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper.
- In a large bowl toss macaroni with ham, cheese, and peas.
- Fold in mayonnaise mixture until pasta is well coated.
- Cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit overnight.
- If the salad seems a little dry after setting up overnight, add some milk a little bit at a time until salad becomes nice and creamy again.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 382Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 33mgSodium: 606mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 2gSugar: 3gProtein: 11g
Jennifer says
This has been very well received at a few gatherings now. Makes enough that I usually have some to bring home, which is fine by me! Thanks for the yummy recipe.
amanda says
Yay! Love to hear that! :)
Nutmeg Nanny says
Hooray for the new blog layout! When I popped on I noticed it looked a little different around here :) I love this pasta salad too. The kind from the deli counter totally grosses me out. It’s just so gloppy…ugh. I’m loving the addition of ham in this pasta salad!
Crystal | Apples & Sparkle says
Love this macaroni salad! You can’t go wrong with ham & cheese. : )
Chelsea @chelseasmessyapron says
I love macaroni salads! The big chunks of cheese and ham sound perfect in this salad. Haha I will take iphone pics of recipes all the time – half the time I can’t hardly read them though! Pinned :)