Macaroni Salad Recipes

Tuna and macaroni salad recipes are part of almost every North American picnic or BBQ menu and are a great addition to a pot luck table.

We've got your basic, ordinary macaroni salad recipe here, which is never really ordinary to me and never goes out of style.

We also have two variations that add cheese and veggies or a bit of a kick to the traditional favorite.

Try one, or try them all, and see which one your family likes the most.

Basic Easy Macaroni Salad Recipe

1 - 8 ounce package macaroni
3/4 cup mayonnaise or Miracle Whip
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 - 7 ounce can tuna, well drained and flaked

Cook macaroni according to package directions in well salted water. Drain and let cool.

When cooled, add in the mayonnaise, celery and tuna. Mix well and chill until ready to serve.

This variation on the basic recipe adds veggies and cheese. A nice taste difference.

Cheesy Vegetable Macaroni Salad

8 ounce package macaroni
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon onion salt
1 cup frozen peas
3/4 cup cheddar cheese, grated
2 tablespoons green or red pepper, minced

Cook macaroni according to package directions in well salted water. Drain and cool. Cook frozen peas until they are heated through. Drain and cool.

Stir together remaining ingredients. Mix cooled macaroni into mixture and stir well to thoroughly and evenly coat the macaroni.

Chill until ready to serve.



Tips:

• The microwave works well to cook the peas. Just add a tiny bit of water to the peas and cook on medium for a few minutes. Drain and cool.
• Add 1 - 7 ounce can of tuna, well drained, for added taste and protein.

The third of our macaroni salad recipes, a zippy macaroni and tuna salad recipe, adds a bit of tang with lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce.

Macaroni Salad with Tuna Recipe

1 - 8 ounce package macaroni
1 - 7 ounce can tuna, well drained
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 tablespoons pimento, chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
salt to taste

Cook macaroni in well salted water according to package directions. Drain and cool.

Combine cooked macaroni, tuna, celery, onion and pimento in a large bowl. Blend together mayonnaise, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and salt in another smaller bowl. Pour this dressing over the macaroni and mix well.

Each of these recipes makes about 6 servings.

Tips:

• Add more fiber by using whole wheat macaroni. You may find you want to cook it just a bit longer than the package states if you are not used to whole wheat pasta.
• Add a variety of vegetables to the basic macaroni salad to kick it up and add nutrients. Shredded carrots or very finely chopped broccoli work well. Try a few and see what your family likes.
• Got kids? Try using a variety of pasta shapes instead of the traditional macaroni. Wagon wheels or other fun shapes may make the kids give it a try.
• A variety of pasta shapes works for adults too. Don't feel you have to stick to the same old macaroni shape.
• Again for kids, try chopping the vegetables very very finely if your kids are not veggie eaters. They may not even notice the good things are in there.

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Look here for meat recipes to go with our macaroni salad recipes.

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