Creamy Macaroni Salad Recipe is an easy summer pasta salad that makes a scrumptious side for all of your grilling and barbecue recipes. It can be prepared in advance and chilled or served as soon as you mix it. This salad is so easy that you can whip it up and have it on the table in about twenty minutes.
This Creamy Macaroni Salad Recipe is a real crowd-pleaser. It is perfect for your next patio party but simple enough for a week night dinner with grilled steak and corn. With all the wonderful vegetables the presentation is phenomenal. My late mother in law made a wonderful macaroni salad. She would put small bits of cubed cheese and sweet pickle relish in it. This one is creamier with just a hint of sweetness and plenty of fresh beautiful vegetables!
What do you put in Macaroni Salad?
Macaroni salad is traditionally made with creamy mayonnaise based dressings but is just as delicious with an oil and vinegar based dressing. All kinds of small or finely diced vegetables can be added such as peas, broccoli, peppers, celery, onions, cucumbers, carrots, zucchini, radishes and more. Other delicious additions included very small cubes of cheese, spinach, sunflower seeds, jalapenos, pimentos, capers, green onions, and hard boiled eggs.
How do you make Creamy Macaroni Salad Recipe?
Cook the noodles according to the package instructions and drain well. In large bowl whisk together mayo, mustard, cider vinegar and sour cream. Add the cooked macaroni, peppers, tomatoes, red onion, celery and parsley. Stir gently to combine. Season with salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste.
This Creamy Macaroni salad is sure to make a pasta lover out of you! For goodness sake if there is a vegetable in here that you are not fond of find a substitution. Well what are you waiting for? You may just have the ingredients on hand to make this delectable salad.
Other Pasta Salad Recipes you will love!
- Easy Taco Pasta Salad
- BLT Pasta Salad
- Tuna Pasta Salad
- Easy Italian Pasta Salad
- Tortellini Pasta Salad (Vegetarian)
- Strawberry Avocado Pasta Salad
This post was originally published April 3, 2016 and was republished with new material August 11, 2019.
PrintCreamy Macaroni Salad
A super easy creamy pasta salad with sweet bell peppers, sun ripened tomatoes, red onion and crunchy fresh celery. Serve it with all your favorite grilled meats or in the winter with my oven baked ribs.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 cups uncooked macaroni noodles
- 2/3 cup mayo
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/2 orange pepper chopped finely
- 1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes halved
- 1/4 cup chopped red onion
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- Optional: 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook noodles according to instructions on box. Drain well.
- In large bowl whisk together mayo, mustard, cider vinegar and sour cream. Add the cooked macaroni, peppers, tomatoes, red onion, celery and parsley. Stir gently to combine. Season with salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste.
Keywords: macaroni salad, pasta salad, summer pasta salad, creamy macaroni salad, best macaroni salad, easy macaroni salad
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https://www.smalltownwoman.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Beth-1.pdf
Linda
I don’t make my macaroni salad like this. I use elbow macaroni, lots of hard boiled egg (yolks only) I don’t like the whites. Green onion, celery, large chunk sweet pickle relish, tuna, mayonnaise, a touch of mustard, a touch of vinegar, a touch of sugar. Have to have the egg yolks they give great taste.
★★★★★
Laura Reese
This was so easy to make! We loved it.
★★★★★
Ashley F.
Such a tasty salad! Love the dijon mustard in it!
★★★★★
Andrea Thueson
This takes me back! I love to find my favorites that I somehow forgot about! I can’t wait to whip this up!!
★★★★★
Erin
Yes! One of my favorite recipes for summer. Creamy and delish!
★★★★★
Cyd
I’d never mad macaroni salad with cider vinegar before. I’ve always used pickle juice for that tartness! I love the balance the vinegar adds to the dressing. So good!
★★★★★
Sherri
Awesome mac salad. Family loved it. Easy on the mustard
Beth Pierce
Thanks Sherri! So glad that you and the family liked it!!
m gidry
Out of elbow macaroni noodles so I used rotini, cooked to death…and a bit of sugar. A bit vinegary but I like that so, good easy fast recipe…thank you.
★★★
Beth Pierce
Thanks! So glad you liked it.
Trang
So good for an outdoor barbecue party! Thank you!
★★★★★
JESSICA
Oh my gosh this is delicious thank you so much!
★★★★★
Ashley F
We love classic recipes like this! Love the flavor especially the dijon mustard in it!
★★★★★
Aimee Shugarman
Best summer recipe ever. We brought this to a potluck and it was such a hit!
★★★★★
Krissy Allori
This is one of my husbands favorite Summer recipes.
★★★★★
Bbdaisy
I would add some boiled eggs and little chunks of cheddar cheese. Other than that it looks creamy and delicious. Thanks for sharing.
★★★★★
Beth Pierce
The pleasure is all mine! Enjoy!
Sandra
I love it! Looks really easy to make and delish!
★★★★★
Vik
So simple and tasty! My entire family loved it
★★★★★
Katerina @ diethood .com
Oh my, SO creamy and delicious!! And I LOVE how easy it is to make!!
★★★★★
Melanie Bauer
Looks really awesome! One of my all time favorite side dish, so excited to make this!
★★★★★
Sara Welch
What a great side dish with dinner! This paired perfectly with our barbecue dinner last night; delicious!
★★★★★
Kim Seghers
This macaroni salad is wonderful. Adding it to my menu plan for this week’s dinner.
★★★★★
Fran
I love pasta salads I can’t wait to make it! I Think I’ll boiled eggs ?
Wade Ferguson
Might add some cooked shrimp!!!
Beth Pierce
Yummy!Sounds delicious!
Veena Azmanov
Delicious, creamy and colorful and my family to love it.
★★★★★
Eden
Perfect for memorial day next month! My family really enjoyed it and I’ll be making again!
Tisha
This is one of my favorite side dishes for a back yard get together!!! Love your version
★★★★★
Amanda Wren-Grimwood
This dish looks perfect for summer entertaining and so versatile with whatever is in the fridge!
★★★★★
Nicolas Hortense
Ooo nice! Love how you added the sour cream as well as the mayo (:
Suzy
Love to make this for potlucks and barbecues.
★★★★★
Mikayla
I love a good pasta salad for summer bbqs! This looks so creamy, and I love the veggies!
★★★★★
Sharon
This macaroni salad looks amazing! I’m saving this for summer cookouts. Looks great.
★★★★★
Rosa
Mmm this looks so creamy and flavourful!
★★★★★
Julie
What is mirin?
Beth Pierce
Mirin is sweetened sake. If it is not available you can sub 1 part sugar to 3 parts sherry or omit it.
Kim Smith
These look so delicious. I think I could come here and plan out my menu for all my summer salad meals!
bpierce
You just made my Monday!!!! Thanks so much! 🙂