BLT Macaroni Salad

Name: BLT Macaroni Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 1 h 25 min
Yield: 8 serving
Ingredients: 8 oz. elbow macaroni noodles; 8 oz. grape tomatoes; 1/2 cup celery (70g); 1/2 cup red onion (60g); 4 pieces cooked bacon; 1 cup shredded romaine lettuce; 3/4 cup light mayo (180g); 2 tsp Dijon mustard; 2 tsp sugar; 2 tsp red wine vinegar; 1/4 tsp salt; freshly cracked black pepper

User Reviews

5.0

15 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Additional Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 25 mins
Servings
8
Calories
194 kcal
Course
Side Dish
Cuisine
American

BLT Macaroni Salad

Heidi Hunt

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There's nothing better than blt sandwiches on a hot summers day and now you can enjoy all the classic flavors in a delicious cold pasta salad recipe! This Lightened Up BLT Macaroni Salad is the ultimate summer side dish perfect for bbqs, cookouts and more! It's super easy to make and is great to prep in advance!

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Ingredients

Servings

Macaroni Salad:

8 oz. elbow macaroni noodles or any short noodle pasta
8 oz. grape tomatoes
1/2 cup celery (70g) finely diced
1/2 cup red onion (60g) diced
4 pieces cooked bacon plus more for crumbling over the top
1 cup shredded romaine lettuce optional, see notes!

Dressing:

3/4 cup light mayo (180g)
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp salt or to taste
freshly cracked black pepper

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Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water to taste, then add the pasta. Cook until al dente, about 7-9 minutes or according to package instructions. Then rinse with cold water and drain well.
Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
In a large bowl, add the diced celery, red onion and bacon to the bowl. Add the pasta and the dressing and toss well to evenly coat. Then fold in the tomatoes. Taste and add more salt, pepper, mayo, vinegar, etc. to taste.
Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour. Best if refrigerated for 24 hours. If adding lettuce then mix in right before serving so it stays crunchy. Top with more bacon crumbles and enjoy!

Equipments used:

Notes

Lettuce: The lettuce adds a nice crunch (and of course is traditional for BLT) but it doesn't hold up as well with leftovers, so sometimes I'll leave it out. If serving for a crowd and you want to add it, just wait until right before serving to mix in. If meal prepping, just keep stored separately and add when ready to eat! Whether you add it or not, it's still delicious!
Lettuce: The lettuce adds a nice crunch (and of course is traditional for BLT) but it doesn't hold up as well with leftovers, so sometimes I'll leave it out. If serving for a crowd and you want to add it, just wait until right before serving to mix in. If meal prepping, just keep stored separately and add when ready to eat! Whether you add it or not, it's still delicious!
To make gluten-free: use gluten-free pastaTo make vegetarian: omit bacon
Optional Variations:
Use greek yogurt! Sub some or all of the mayo for greek yogurt if you don’t like the taste of mayo or just want to increase the protein.
Add chicken! Add chicken or your favorite protein to make this macaroni salad into a meal! Rotisserie chicken works great or you make some easy air fryer grilled chicken nuggets
Swap for spinach! You can easily swap the lettuce for spinach if you prefer! It holds up slightly better since it's not meant to be as crisp
Add more fresh veggies! Throw in additional veggies like corn, broccoli, kale, jalapenos or anything else you think would be great in this recipe!

Nutrition Information

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Serving 1 cup (143g) Calories 194kcal (10%) Carbohydrates 26g (9%) Protein 5.2g (10%) Fat 7.7g (12%) Saturated Fat -3g (-15%) Fiber 1.9g (8%) Sugar 2.8g (6%)