Classic Macaroni Salad Recipe

An old recipe for Classic Macaroni Salad from a 1960s cookbook gave me the starting point for this version. After changing the amounts a few times, I settled on this combination of hard-boiled eggs, green peas, and small cubes of sharp cheddar.

I do not add sugar to the dressing. The sweet pickle relish already gives it enough sweetness for me, and I add a spoonful of the pickle juice instead of vinegar. Dijon mustard gives it a little more bite.

Cut the cheddar into small cubes. I tried it shredded before, but once it gets mixed with the mayonnaise you hardly notice the cheese anymore. I would rather bite into a small piece of cheddar along with the macaroni.

What is Classic Macaroni Salad?

This is the American-style macaroni salad I make as a side dish for grilled meat and fried chicken. It is very different from the Filipino Chicken Macaroni Salad we usually have at Christmas. That one has chicken, pineapple, and raisins and is noticeably sweeter. This one is simpler and more savory, with eggs, cheddar, peas, and vegetables mixed into the macaroni.

Why This Classic Macaroni Salad Recipe Works

• Peas go in for the last minute – Straight from the freezer into the pasta water at the end. They cool down under the same cold rinse as the macaroni, so you do not need a second pot or any thawing time.
• Rinse cold, then let it drain – Rinsing is the easy part. Leaving the macaroni in the colander for a few minutes is the part that gets skipped, and water still clinging to it is what loosens the dressing an hour later.
• No sugar – The relish is already doing that. Add sugar on top of it and the dressing starts heading toward the sweet Filipino version, which is not what this one is.

Classic Macaroni Salad Ingredients

• Elbow macaroni – Cook it until tender but not mushy. Do not stop at a firm al dente because the macaroni tightens up again once it is rinsed and chilled.
• Sharp cheddar cheese – Sharp, not mild. Sharp still tastes like cheddar after an hour in mayonnaise, while a mild block is mostly texture by then. Regular cheddar works if that is what is in the refrigerator.
• Hard-boiled eggs – Chop them rather than slicing. Slices break into uneven pieces once the salad is tossed.
• Frozen green peas – Half a cup, straight from the freezer into the boiling water.
• Celery – Chop it fine. This is the one thing in the bowl that stays crisp on day two, and that little crunch matters here.
• Red bell pepper – Use red bell pepper here. Green tastes sharper, and I want the sweetness from the red. Chop it fine.
• Red onion – A third of a cup, chopped fine. That is enough onion to taste without overpowering the other ingredients.
• Mayonnaise – One cup for 8 ounces of macaroni. Use full-fat.
• Dijon mustard – One tablespoon. Yellow mustard is sweeter, and since there is no sugar in this dressing I want the sharper one.
• Sweet pickle relish – Two tablespoons, and keep the jar out. A tablespoon of the juice goes into the dressing too.
• Fresh parsley – Chopped, and it goes into the toss with everything else. I do not sprinkle it over the top at the end.
• Salt and ground black pepper – Both go into the dressing, before anything else. You will taste it again after the hour in the refrigerator anyway.

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the elbow macaroni and cook according to the package directions until tender but not mushy.
2. Add the frozen green peas during the last minute of cooking.
3. Drain the macaroni and peas, then rinse them under cold running water until cool.
4. Drain well and let them sit in the colander for a few minutes so excess water does not get into the dressing.

Give the peas the last minute and no longer. They come out of the bag already blanched, so all they need is warming through. Longer than that and they turn dull and soft, and they break apart when you toss the salad.

1. Combine the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, sweet pickle relish, pickle juice, salt, and ground black pepper in a large bowl.
2. Stir until well blended.

1. Add the cooled macaroni and peas, celery, bell pepper, red onion, cheddar cheese, hard-boiled eggs, and parsley to the bowl with the dressing.
2. Gently toss everything together until evenly coated, taking care not to break up the eggs and cheese.
3. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
4. Stir gently before serving. Taste and add more salt or black pepper if needed. Serve cold. Share and enjoy!

What to Serve with Classic Macaroni Salad

• Inihaw na Liempo – Grilled pork belly with a soy and citrus marinade. This is the pairing I like best with this salad.
• Marinated Grilled Pork Chop – A grilled pork chop that does not need a long marinade.
• Chicken Inasal – Bacolod style grilled chicken basted with lemongrass, calamansi and chicken oil.
• BBQ Baby Back Ribs – Simmered first, then grilled with thin layers of sauce brushed on.
• Fried chicken – A cold macaroni salad also works well beside crispy fried chicken.

Storage

• Refrigerator: Keep it covered in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. The macaroni absorbs more dressing as it sits, so stir in a spoonful or two of mayonnaise if the salad looks dry the next day.
• Freezer: Do not freeze this salad. Mayonnaise can separate after thawing, and the celery and bell pepper lose their crisp texture. To work ahead, cook the macaroni and peas and chop the vegetables the day before, then keep the cheese and eggs separate until you assemble the salad.
• Reheating: Nothing here gets reheated. Take the bowl out and stir it gently. Taste it again before serving because it may need a little more salt.

More Macaroni Salad Recipes

• Tuna Macaroni Salad – Canned tuna folded through the macaroni, and the whole thing takes less than 20 minutes.
• Creamy Ham and Chicken Macaroni Salad – Chicken and ham together, with all-purpose cream alongside the mayonnaise for a richer dressing.
• Filipino Sweet Macaroni Salad – Condensed milk, fruit cocktail, kaong, nata de coco and raisins. It is served as a dessert.
• Shrimp Macaroni Salad with Roasted Bell Pepper – A seafood version, made with shrimp and roasted bell pepper.

• Sharp cheddar – Regular cheddar works too. If it is mild, cut the cubes slightly larger.
• Dijon mustard – Yellow mustard, same tablespoon. It is milder and a little sweeter, so the dressing comes out less sharp.
• Sweet pickle relish – Chopped sweet pickles, the same two tablespoons. Dill relish makes a sour salad rather than a sweet one, and it needs a teaspoon of sugar with it.
• Sweet pickle juice – Start with two teaspoons of white vinegar or apple cider vinegar instead of the tablespoon, since neither has any sugar in it.
• Frozen green peas – Leave them out if nobody at your table eats peas. Skip canned peas, which are soft already and break up in the tossing.
• Eggs and cheddar – You can leave either one out. If you want a simpler version without both, see my Easy Macaroni Salad, which uses mayonnaise and sour cream in the dressing.

I keep this in the refrigerator until the grilled food is almost ready, then bring it out cold. It goes especially well with inihaw na liempo. You can make small changes to the vegetables if you need to, but I would keep the cheddar and eggs in the bowl.