How To Make Old Fashioned Macaroni Salad – A Step By Step Guide
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Classic Macaroni Salad is the perfect side dish for any picnic or potlucks. This old fashioned macaroni salad recipe is both simple and delicious.
Classic Macaroni Salad
Nothing screams summer like this Classic Macaroni Salad recipe. It is a must-have for any family reunion, cookout or even just as the perfect side with your favorite grilled protein, like steak, burgers, pork chops and hot dogs.
Our family does not normally tailgate before the games featuring our favorite college and pro football teams; however, we do enjoy gathering to watch the game. And when you get together to watch football, it’s required that you have a spread of good “tailgating” food!
Sweet Macaroni Salad Recipe
This sweet Macaroni Salad with sweetened condensed milk is one that is easy to put together the night before and only gets better and better after a few hours in the refrigerator.
The ingredients for this macaroni salad include the traditional mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, but this recipe adds in a can of sweetened condensed milk. It is so good that you have to resist the urge to eat it with a spoon.
Ingredient List for Creamy Macaroni Salad
Classic Macaroni Salad is the perfect side dish for a summer cookout, family reunion or even a tailgate. Along with the traditional ingredients, the dressing for this version of macaroni salad includes sweetened condensed milk. This old fashioned macaroni salad is definitely a recipe your friends and family will be asking for after they taste it.
- Elbow Macaroni Noodles
- Sweetened Condensed Milk
- Mayonnaise
- White Vinegar
- Sugar
- Salt
- Black Pepper
- Bell Pepper, diced
- Onion, minced or diced
- Carrots, grated
How To Make Macaroni Salad with Sweetened Condensed Milk
Step By Step Instructions
- Cook macaroni according to package instructions; drain well.
- Make the dressing by combining mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, sweetened condensed milk, and salt and pepper. In a large bowl, pour over macaroni and stir.
- To the mixture, add in carrots, pepper and onion; mix gently. Chill until ready to serve.
Storage Instructions
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. If the salad becomes dry, stir in extra mayo.
For the for ingredient amounts and recipe steps for for Sweet Macaroni Salad with Sweetened Condensed Milk, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Recipe FAQs
- Use sweetened condensed milk for this classic macaroni salad recipe, not to be confused with evaporated milk. Check out our Amazon Store for links to condensed milk and pantry essentials.
- Red, yellow or orange peppers could be substituted for green peppers, if desired.
- Be sure to refrigerate this old fashioned macaroni salad for a minimum of 4 hour to let the flavors marinate together before serving.
- If the pasta salad seems dry, add a bit more mayonnaise to loosen it up.
- Want a pasta salad that can serve as a main dish? Try our Tuna Pasta Salad.
Recipe Variations
- Add diced celery ribs for crunch.
- Instead of green peppers, use yellow, orange or red bell peppers.
- Hard-boiled eggs are a great addition.
- For more flavor, add diced yellow or red onion.
- Add some version or pickles including sweet pickle relish, diced sweet pickles, dill pickles, or sweet pickle juice.
- Stir in diced cheddar cheese cubes or shredded cheese.
Why does mayo disappear in macaroni salad?
Macaroni (or any type of pasta for that matter) is a starch. Starches by nature absorb water (moisture). This means any of the moisture in your dressing or mayonnaise is being absorbed in to the pasta as it sits.
How do you keep pasta salad from absorbing dressing?
Drizzle the cooked pasta with a small layer of oil (olive, vegetable or canola oil). The oil will coat the pasta forming a barrier. This barrier will help prevent the pasta from soaking up all the moisture in the salad.
Why is my macaroni salad bland?
If your macaroni salad is bland in flavor, you can easily remedy this. The three easiest flavor components to jazz it up is sweet, salty or acidic. For sweetness, you could add sugar, brown sugar, honey, sweetened condensed milk or even maple syrup. To give a more acidic flavor, try a splash of vinegar or lemon juice. The easiest ingredient to add for flavor is easy, add more salt.
Our Favorite Cookout Recipes
Need other ideas for your next summer cookout or tailgate to go with this classic macaroni salad?
Sweet Potato Salad with Canned Yams
How do you fix bland macaroni salad?
Suffering from a bland case of classic macaroni salad? Do not despair! Add in one of these simple ingredients to add some real flavor to your cold salad.
For a sweet macaroni salad, stir in sweetened condensed milk and/or sugar. Sounds crazy, but it’s the secret to this Amish Macaroni Salad. To get a little more tang, add in either vinegar, pickle juice or relish or some type of mustard including yellow mustard or Dijon mustard.
How do you spice up store bought macaroni salad?
To make store-bought macaroni salad look homemade, stir in and garnish with fresh herbs. No one will suspect you bought it from the store.
Classic Macaroni Salad
Ingredients
- 16 oz. macaroni pasta
- 3 large carrots grated
- 1 onion diced small
- 1 green pepper diced small
- 2 cups mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup vinegar
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook macaroni according to package directions to al dente. Drain.
- Mix together mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, sweetened condensed milk and salt and pepper; add to macaroni and stir well.
- Add in carrots, onion and green pepper. Mix until completely incorporated.
- Refrigerate for a minimum 4 hours before eating.
Notes
- Use sweetened condensed milk for this recipe, not to be confused with evaporated milk.
- Red, yellow or orange peppers could be substituted for green peppers, if desired.
- Be sure to refrigerate this old fashioned macaroni salad for a minimum of 4 hour to let the flavors marinate together before serving.
- If the pasta salad seems dry, add a bit more mayonnaise to loosen it up.
- Want a pasta salad that can serve as a main dish? Try our Tuna Pasta Salad.
- For some more pitch-in recipes, try our Old Fashioned Pea Salad, Cherry Fluff and Ranch Cauliflower Salad.
- The nutritional information below is auto-calculated and can vary depending on the products used. It should no be used for specific dietary needs.
Nutrition
