Macaroni Salad with Ham & Cheese
User Reviews
4.4
Macaroni Salad with Ham & Cheese
Description
Macaroni Salad with Ham & Cheese brings together cooked pasta with savory ham cubes and mild cheddar cheese. This version incorporates a variety of diced vegetables including celery, green bell pepper, and red onion for crunch and flavor complexity. The dressing combines mayonnaise with sweetened condensed milk and white vinegar, creating a creamy texture balanced by a subtle sweetness and tang. Adding peas and optional fresh parsley enhances both color and freshness.
The salad is made by cooking pasta until just al dente and cooling it thoroughly before folding in the remaining ingredients and dressing. Chilling the salad for a couple of hours helps to blend the flavors well. It can be served as a side dish to grilled meats, sandwiches, or on its own as a filling salad.
The recipe notes that this comes from a family recipe box, suggesting it is a tried and true salad suitable for gatherings or casual meals, and the sweetness level of the dressing can be adjusted by varying the amount of condensed milk used.
Ingredients
- 1 pound pasta such as rings, cavatappi, elbow, rotini, etc, small or medium-sized
- 2 cups ham about 3/8" in size, cubed; cooked
- 2 cups cheddar cheese cubed; mild
- 2 cups celery diced
- ⅔ cup green bell pepper diced
- ½ cup red onion diced
- ½ cup sweet pickle relish drained
- 1 cup peas frozen
- 2 cups mayonnaise good quality
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk use less if you want a less-sweet flavor, 14 ounces
- ½ cup white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- black pepper
- 2 tablespoons parsley optional, chopped, fresh
Instructions
- In a medium-sized pot, boil pasta in salted water until just al dente. Transfer pasta to a colander and rinse under cold water until chilled. Drain thoroughly.
- While pasta is cooking, prepare the rest of the salad. To a large bowl, add the ham, cheese, celery, green pepper, onion, pickle relish, peas, optional parsley, and a few good cranks of freshly ground black pepper. Add prepared pasta. Fold gently to combine.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sweetened condensed milk, vinegar, and kosher salt. Pour dressing over salad ingredients in large bowl. Fold to incorporate. Chill for a couple hours. Fold again right before serving.
Notes
- Chill the salad for a few hours before serving to allow flavors to blend well.
- You can adjust the sweetness by using less sweetened condensed milk if preferred.
- Use good-quality mayonnaise for best dressing consistency and flavor.
- Drain pasta well after rinsing to avoid watery salad.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 12servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 259 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1 | |
| Calories | 259kcal | 13% |
| Carbohydrates | 29g | 10% |
| Protein | 14g | 28% |
| Fat | 10g | 15% |
| Saturated Fat | 4g | 20% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 3g | 18% |
| Cholesterol | 38mg | 13% |
| Sodium | 966mg | 40% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 7g | 14% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.4
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