Simple Macaroni Salad

Anytime one of the women in my group of friends has a baby, we do a meal train for them.

Basically, someone brings their family a meal (home cooked or take out) every night or every other night for a while as they adjust to having their newborn at home. It’s also an excuse to go visit them and sometimes hold a newborn. 🙂

Recently, another friend added a daughter to their family and this simple macaroni salad recipe was part of the meal I took to her. I made BBQ baked chicken, this macaroni salad, and chocolate no-bake cookies. It was a very summer-in-southern-Missouri meal.

Related: Classic Pea Salad with Bacon, Deviled Eggs, Broccoli Salad, Classic Potato Salad, Ambrosia Salad, Tuna Salad, Creamy Pasta Salad, and 40+ Easy Picnic Food Ideas.

I made another batch of this simple macaroni salad later that week and when Trey found it in the refrigerator that night he very excitedly asked, “Is this macaroni salad up for grabs?!?!” I didn’t realize he was such a fan. Ha. I am too, so I think we’ll be making this a few more times this summer.

It’s perfect for a potluck or backyard BBQ. I personally like it best alongside a veggie burger. And if there are any leftovers, they are delicious the next day too.

As the name suggests, this is truly a very simple macaroni salad recipe. Everyone has their way of making it and this is mine. It’s pretty classic but maybe with a few more vegetables added than the average one.

I also am a big fan of adding a few hard boiled eggs to the mix, as it adds to the richness and feels a little more egg salad, which I also LOVE. Enjoy! xo. Emma

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5 from 2 votes

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A classic macaroni salad recipe with extra vegetables.

Ingredients

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 pound macaroni noodles (cooked)
• ▢ 5 ounces broccoli (chopped)
• ▢ ½ red bell pepper (finely chopped)
• ▢ 2 tablespoons red onion (chopped)
• ▢ 2 hardboiled eggs (roughly chopped)
• ▢ ½ cup mayo
• ▢ ½ cup sour cream
• ▢ 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• ▢ 1 tablespoon sugar
• ▢ 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• ▢ 1 tablespoon water (or skim milk)
• ▢ salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Cook the noodles according to the package directions and drain once done. I like to cook my noodles ahead of time and then let them cool before mixing the salad together. You could even make them a day ahead and refrigerate if needed.
• In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the mayo, sour cream, vinegar, sugar, mustard, and water or milk. In a large bowl, add the cooked noodles, broccoli, bell pepper, onion, and hard boiled egg. Drizzle on the dressing and stir until everything gets well coated. Taste and add salt and pepper.
• This is great to make the morning before you plan to serve and just cover and refrigerate until you are ready. You can also make it a day ahead and refrigerate if needed.

Notes

There are few things you might consider substituting if you want to make this a little healthier. First, you can swap the noodles for whole wheat or a gluten-free option. The mayo can be substituted for a light version or an alternative. And the sour cream could be subbed for greek yogurt (full fat or a lower fat version).

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keywords mararoni salad