5.0 from 99 votes
Classic Macaroni Salad
A delicious nostalgic comforting classic!
Total Time
20 mins
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 353 kcal
Course:
Side Dish
Cuisine:
American
Ingredients
- 8 oz elbow macaroni we like extra large
- 1 cup celery halved and diced, approx 4 celery stalks
- 1 cup carrots grated, approx 3 medium carrots
- 1/4 cup Bread and butter pickles diced
- 1/4 cup red onion diced
Dressing
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3/4 teaspoon celery seed
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook macaroni for 8 minutes (or other pasta for however long is instructed on box).
- Meanwhile, prep veggies and pickles and then add mayo, vinegar, dijon, salt, pepper, and celery seed and mix well.
- Once pasta is done, drain and add to a medium-sized bowl. Add veggies, pickles, and mayo mixture and mix well.
- Season with additional salt or pepper to taste and either enjoy immediately or store in the fridge until ready to serve.
Cup of Yum
Notes
- Storage
- Storage
- Store in the fridge for up to 3-5 days. This recipe is great to prepare in advance, up to 2 days. Just prepare all of your veggies and macaroni and add them to a bowl and then the mayo mixture in a separate container. I like to add the mayo right before leaving the house so that it doesn't absorb too much into the macaroni and is still creamy and dreamy.
- Substitutions
- Substitutions
- Vinegar - Apple cider is one of our favorites because it's pretty mild. But if you don't have any, you could also use white or white wine vinegar, too.
- Dijon mustard - while we love a good dijon mustard for this recipe, we have also made this with stone ground mustard and even yellow mustard and it's still delicious! You could also add a tablespoon of ground mustard if you don't have any other mustard in the house.
- Onion - A sweet yellow onion or white onion is great in this, too.
- Pickles - Dill pickles also add a great flavor to this macaroni salad, but not the same sweetness.
- Kosher Salt - This is the standard in our house, but if you use regular table salt, no problem, just reduce the salt to 1/2 teaspoon and then add more if desired.
- Add Ons
- Add Ons
- Want to beef it up a little? Add some red bell pepper, capers, or hard-boiled eggs to this recipe. Just keep in mind how much you add to it, as you may need to increase the mayo mixture to make sure that you don't have a dry macaroni salad.
Nutrition Information
Calories
353kcal
(18%)
Carbohydrates
33g
(11%)
Protein
6g
(12%)
Fat
22g
(34%)
Saturated Fat
3g
(15%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
13g
Monounsaturated Fat
5g
Trans Fat
0.1g
Cholesterol
12mg
(4%)
Sodium
547mg
(23%)
Potassium
227mg
(6%)
Fiber
2g
(8%)
Sugar
4g
(8%)
Vitamin A
3708IU
(74%)
Vitamin C
2mg
(2%)
Calcium
36mg
(4%)
Iron
1mg
(6%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 6people
Amount Per Serving
Calories 353
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 353kcal | 18% |
| Carbohydrates | 33g | 11% |
| Protein | 6g | 12% |
| Fat | 22g | 34% |
| Saturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 13g | 76% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 5g | 25% |
| Trans Fat | 0.1g | 5% |
| Cholesterol | 12mg | 4% |
| Sodium | 547mg | 23% |
| Potassium | 227mg | 5% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 4g | 8% |
| Vitamin A | 3708IU | 74% |
| Vitamin C | 2mg | 2% |
| Calcium | 36mg | 4% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.