The Best Macaroni Salad Recipe
The best creamy macaroni salad recipe made with pasta, vegetables, and a creamy homemade sweet and tangy dressing. An easy, traditional macaroni salad recipe!
Ingredients
- 1 lb. Pasta *
- 3/4 cup Sweet Pickle Relish
- 3/4 to 1 cup Red, Orange, and Yellow Peppers (diced)
- 1 to 2 stalks Celery (diced)
- 1 Carrot (diced)
- 1/4 cup Red Onion (finely diced)
Macaroni Salad Dressing:
- 1 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup Sour Cream
- 2 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar (or white vinegar)
- 2 Tablespoons Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Deli or Dijon Mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon Red Chili Flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Pepper
Instructions
- Heat a large pot of water over high heat until boiling. Add a generous amount of salt to season the pasta while it cooks. Once the water is boiling, cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Drain.
- Meanwhile, chop the vegetables. Dice the peppers, celery, carrots, and onion into finely diced pieces.
- Once the pasta is drained, add to a large bowl. Toss the diced vegetables into the pasta.
Macaroni Salad Dressing:
- In a medium bowl, stir together mayonnaise, sour cream, red wine vinegar, sugar, mustard, red chili flakes, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
- Toss pasta and vegetables with dressing and stir well to coat. Taste for seasonings and add more salt and pepper, if needed. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.