This old fashioned macaroni salad recipe combines a tangy creamy dressing with macaroni pasta, red bell pepper, cheddar cheese, carrots, celery, and red onion for a delicious salad. It makes a fantastic side dish for hot dogs, burgers, fried chicken, grilled chicken, baked burger sliders, grilled buffalo wings, grilled brat kabobs, and sloppy joes. Everyone loves this retro side dish.
"I love a good macaroni salad, and this recipe is delicious! It was so creamy, and I loved the little bites of cheese. Perfect for summer!"
★★★★★-Amanda
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Macaroni salad is one of those classic side dishes that never goes out of style. It's simple, familiar, and somehow always one of the first bowls emptied at a potluck or barbecue. The creamy dressing adds just the right amount of flavor, while the crisp vegetables add just enough crunch. It pairs well with just about everything and anything, hence you see it at almost every family gathering.
I'll be honest. Not everyone makes it just right. Getting the right balance of dressing to the pasta makes all the difference. Too much dressing and it's heavy. Too little and it's dry. And while some recipes leave it out, I firmly believe the cheddar cheese is what takes this macaroni salad from good to memorable. It adds a little extra richness and ties all the flavors together perfectly. I hope you love it as much as we do. Enjoy! Xoxo -Katie.
Ingredient notes and substitutions
You will need the following ingredients to make old-fashioned macaroni salad.
- sugar- Balnaces the tanginess of the vinegar and mustard.
- elbow macaroni- The classic choice for macaroni salad because the curved shape holds onto the creamy dressing. You can substitute with small shells pasta or ziti.
- real mayonnaise- Use a full-fat mayonnaise such as Hellman's or Duke's mayonnaise.
- red bell pepper- Adds color, sweetness, and crunch. You can substitute with yellow or orange bell peppers.
- dijon mustard- Adds tang and flavor. You can substitute with yellow mustard.
- apple cider vinegar- Adds acidity and balances the richness of the mayonnaise. You can substitute with white wine or white vinegar.
- sharp cheddar- Cheese is optional, but adds richness and flavor. Pepper jack and Monterrey Jack would also be delicious.
- red onion- Adds a mild bite and color. You can substitute with yellow, white, or green onions. For a milder onion flavor, soak diced onios in cold water 10 minutes before adding them to the salad.
- carrots- Adds color, sweetness, and crunch.
- celery- Adds color, flavor, and crunch.
*Full recipe with ingredient measurements are located at the bottom of the post in the recipe card.
Optional add-ins
You can also add in the following ingredients in this creamy pasta salad.
- chopped ham
- garden peas
- chopped hard-boiled eggs
- pickle relish
- tomatoes
- fresh dill
- bell pepper
- sweet pickle relish
- chopped dill pickles
Steps
Follow these simple steps to make classic macaroni salad.
- Cook pasta in boiling salted water until tender. Rinse pasta in cold water until completely chilled. Drain any excess water.
- In a large bowl, add cooked pasta, diced red onion, diced red peppers, shredded carrots, cubed cheddar cheese, and diced celery. Mix well.
- In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise, sugar, and dijon mustard.
- Mix in dressing with macaroni salad. Chill before serving.
Watch how to make
Cooking Tips
- Make your homemade macaroni salad 1 to 2 hours a head of time. This will allow the pasta to chill and soak up the dressing for full flavor. You can make the pasta salad up to 24 hours in advance.
- Pasta contiunes absorbing dressing as it chills. To keep it from drying out, reserve a little dressing to stir in before serving.
How long does old-fashioned macaroni salad last?
Store macaroni salad in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Please leave me a comment below if you make this classic macaroni salad, and tell me what you thought about it. I would love to hear back, and so would my readers.
Also post your picture of your pasta on Instagram or Facebook, and tag @aforkstale with #aforkstale hashtags! I will share with my followers! xoxo!
📖 Recipe
Old Fashioned Macaroni Salad Recipe
Ingredients
Macaroni Salad
- 8 ounces uncooked macaroni (2 cups)
- 2 celery ribs diced finely
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- ½ red onion diced finely
- ⅓ cup carrots shredded
- 1 cup cheese cut into small cubes
Dressing
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons sugar
Instructions
- Cook pasta in boiling salted water until tender. Rinse pasta in cold water until completely chilled. Drain any excess water.8 ounces uncooked macaroni
- In a large mixing bowl, add cooked macaroni, diced red onion, diced red bell pepper, shredded carrots, cubed cheddar cheese, and diced celery. Mix well.1 red bell pepper, ½ red onion, ⅓ cup carrots, 1 cup cheese, 2 celery ribs
- In a small mixing bowl, mix mayonnaise, sugar, and dijon mustard.1 cup mayonnaise, 2 teaspoons dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons sugar
- Mix in dressing with macaroni salad. Salt and pepper to taste. You can serve immediately, but it is best to refrigerate 2 or more hours before serving.
Enriqueta E Lemoine says
I made this salad and my kids loved it. I'll be making it again for this coming Superbowl gathering. Thanks for the recipe and the inspiration!
Debbie says
This was the best Old Fashioned Macaroni Salad !! This was just like my mom used to make . The dressing was perfectly tangy and slightly the sweet. I loved the addition of cheese. This something I will make over and over.
Anna says
Made it couple of days ago and it was so easy and quick to prepare, not to mention that the salad is just delicious! Creamy, crunchy, and very very tasty!
Marie says
Macaroni salad is always such a crowd-pleaser! I love the generous amount of crunch from the veggies in your recipe, and how easy the dressing is. Will be making this one again and again!
Amy says
My family loved this macaroni salad recipe. It was so tasty with cheeseburgers. I doubled the recipe so I could have some leftovers.
Dennis says
What a delicious macaroni salad! I love the idea of adding cheese the mac salad. This recipe is a keeper!
Tristin says
We added some fresh dill and cubed ham to ours. Tastes a lot like the version my grandma used to make. So good!
Loreto and Nicoletta Nardelli says
This old fashioned macaroni salad would be such a great addition to any potluck or gathering! Saved to make!
Bernice says
I was looking for a classic mac salad recipe to bring to our son's last weekend and yours looked perfect. I was a hit with everyone and they all asked for the recipe.
Chris says
It was great everyone loved it!!
Amanda says
I love a good macaroni salad, and this recipe is delicious! It was so creamy, and I loved the little bites of cheese. Perfect for summer!
Ann says
I love a good macaroni salad! I have never tried using Dijon mustard to the mix. Sounds delicious!
Roylan Sullivan says
Where are the measurements for the ingredients. ??
Katie Crenshaw says
At the end of the post. You can hit the button at the top of the post that says "jump to recipe" or scroll. At the bottom of the post is the recipe card with exact measurements.