Amazing Macaroni Salad

Macaroni salad season is here! (Click to Tweet) This recipe is just like my Mama used to make - except no onions because my kids (young adults) still hate them - a sign of immaturity (little do they know they will grow out of it).

Now's the time for cold sandwiches, salads, fresh fruits, and sipping on cool drinks. Here's a great recipe to get you started.

Oh, by the way, the great thing about macaroni salad is that you can change up the ingredients to suit your taste so anything goes. When I was growing up my mom always put lots of vegetables in the macaroni salad. She also added just the right amount of mustard (a dab) to the salad, along with Best Foods Mayonnaise -- it HAD to be Best Foods or nothing - she was super picky.

This recipe can be made with or without eggs. So, if you are Vegan you can substitute cubed tofu for the hard-boiled eggs and use Vegan mayonnaise.

Macaroni salad is good as a light meal or snack to tide you over to the next meal. But it is about summertime, so remember to keep cold salads cold to keep them fresh and safe to eat.

This recipe fills one very large salad bowl, so you may wish to double the recipe.

(In fact, if you double the recipe you can use up the canned veggies!)

1. 1 pound of salad macaroni (or you may use elbow macaroni or shells)
2. 1/2 can (1 lb.) small olives, drained and sliced
3. 1/2 can (1 lb.) sweet peas, drained
4. 4 medium-sized carrots, peeled, cooked, and cut
5. 3-4 sliced hard boiled eggs OR 2 cups cubed tofu for Vegans
6. Yellow mustard, a dollop
7. Best Foods Mayonnaise, 3-4 large spoons or to taste
8. Salt & Pepper - to taste
9. Garlic & Onion Powder- to taste
10. Paprika, sprinkled on top

Kitchen Tools Needed:

• One large cook pot
• Medium-sized pot
• 2 Kitchen timers
• One colander
• One large salad bowl
• Large spoon and fork
• Aluminum foil to cover the salad before refrigerating.

Total time: 1-1/2 to 2 hours

Makes 6- 8 generous servings

Have the olives and sweet peas ready before you start this recipe:

Open the can of peas, drain the water, then pour half the can into a medium-sized bowl.

Do the same with the can of olives, but this time slice the olives before adding them to the sweet peas. Set the bowl in the refrigerator until these are needed.

Instructions:

1. Before boiling the macaroni, take out a medium-sized pot to boil the eggs and carrots in.

Place the eggs and peeled, halved carrots (not shown in picture) into the pot of cold water . Add a pinch of salt to the water, then start boiling them for about 20 minutes -- set your timer.

2. After 20 minutes, check the carrots. You need the carrots cooked firm, not soft or they will be mushy. Take the carrots out, and set aside to cool -- but leave the eggs boiling for another 10 minutes. then turn the pan off and allow the eggs to cool in cold water.

3. After 10 minutes, turn the burner off the eggs. Drain the pot of eggs, and add cold water to allow the eggs to cool before peeling and slicing them.

4. Prepare to boil 1 lb.of salad macaroni by taking out a large pot and filling it more than 1/2 full of water.

Add a pinch of salt to the water, then turn on the flame until the water boils.

5. After the water comes to a boil, add the salad macaroni to the boiling water. Stir the macaroni once or twice while boiling to keep them from clumping together.

Read package directions for the macaroni to see how long to set the timer for -- (usually it is about 10 minutes), and set the timer AFTER the water in the pot comes to a second boil.

Place a colander in the sink to drain and rinse the macaroni when it is done.

When the timer rings, taste the macaroni to be sure it is cooked al dente (firm, not hard).

6. If the macaroni is done, turn off the burner.Put on oven mitts to take the pot to the colander in the sink for draining.

Rinse well.

Pour the rinsed, drained macaroni into a large salad bowl, then set aside.

7. Then, peel the hard-cooked eggs and chop or use an egg slicer to slice the eggs before adding them to the salad bowl.

8. Now, start slicing the cooked carrots then add to the salad bowl of macaroni.

9. Get the bowl with the sweet peas and sliced olives out and add them to the salad bowl.

10. Add salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste.

11. Here is a photo of all the ingredients before adding mayonnaise/Vegennaise.

12. Add Best Foods mayonnaise, about 3 - 4 large salad spoonfuls.

For Vegans: Use egg-free mayonnaise, such as Hain's or Vegennaise.

13. You may add sliced eggs and olives to the top, then sprinkle generously with paprika.

Here's the final view of the salad with paprika.

Keep refrigerated and use with 3-4 days for best results.

Here are some brief but popular videos you can watch to learn more cooking tips.

There are other recipes for macaroni salad on You Tube, but I felt it was a conflict of interest so I chose other pasta salad recipes and related videos.

Excellent video, shows how to grill a pasta salad like this one.

Make delicious sushi rolls for Vegans!

Here's one for Vegan mac and cheese!

It's not supposed to cost MORE to be vegetarian. Here's some ways to keep the cost down.