There's nothing quite like this easy pasta salad to bring back memories of summer when you were a kid.
Looking for a vinegar based pasta salad rather than a creamy recipe? Try my Italian version! It's full of tangy, fresh flavor.
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❤️ Why you'll love it
- Make it up to two days ahead of time.
- Perfect for all your summer picnics, potlucks, and parties because everyone loves old fashioned macaroni salad!
- It's a favorite family recipe here - and I'm sure it will be at your house, too.
This is the Hellmann's classic recipe my mom made with a few of her own tweaks. Shredded carrots, extra green olives, tiny bits of chopped red onion and celery are all mixed with tender elbow macaroni and swathed in a creamy mayonnaise dressing - it's absolutely craveworthy!
🧾 Ingredients
- Elbows, shells, or some other type of macaroni noodles.
- Hellmann's mayonnaise, or homemade - some people use miracle whip but I prefer Hellmann's.
- Apple cider vinegar
- Yellow mustard - some people prefer dijon mustard for their
- Sugar - just a pinch of sugar adds a spark of flavor and is one of the reasons this is my favorite macaroni salad.
- Salt
- Ground black pepper
- Celery
- Red bell pepper - you can use green, yellow, or whatever color bell pepper you like. I just think the red is pretty.
- Onion - red onion is pretty but any type will do
- Carrot - Mom always grated the carrots on the small side of a box grater and that's the way I do it, too. I don't like big chunks of crunchy carrots in it but the grated carrots add sweetness.
- Salad olives are a MUST. I sometimes double up on the amount of olives I add. I've heard that some people use black olives but I've never tried it.
🔪 Instructions
Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the green recipe card below.
Step one
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Pour in macaroni and cook until very tender.
- Drain completely but don't rinse.
- Stir a little mayonnaise into the macaroni to keep it from sticking.
- Cool completely.
Step two
- Combine mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, salt, pepper, and sugar in a small bowl and mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning and sweetness.
- Put macaroni, celery, carrot, onion, peppers, and olives in a large bowl.
- Pour mayonnaise mixture over and stir gently to combine.
- Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill overnight.
Step three
- Before serving check the pasta salad and add a little more dressing if necessary.
- Garnish with green onions or chopped, fresh herbs if you like.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days - keep chilled if you are bringing it to a cookout or picnic.
🥄 Equipment
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You'll need the following items to make this recipe successfully.
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Large mixing bowl
- Sharp knife
- Whisk
- Stockpot
- Colander
- Wooden spoon
- Box grater
🥫 Storage
This easy macaroni salad can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to five days.
Be sure to refrigerate leftovers promptly - within about two hours. If it's been at room temperature longer than that be sure to throw it out. It's better to "waste" a little food than get sick.
💭 Tips
Expert Tip: Let the macaroni cool before adding the dressing and vegetables! If you add your vegetables to the hot pasta they'll lose their crispness.
This is easy to make but here are some tips to make this macaroni salad even better!
- Use salted water to cook the pasta- about 2 tablespoons salt to 1 gallon of water.
- Elbow macaroni is traditional but I do love a good shell macaroni salad! The ingredients get stuck in the shells...perfection.
- Slightly overcook your pasta. I know the directions say not to overcook it but trust me on this. I once asked Mom why her macaroni salad was better than mine and she said (and I quote) "You have to cook the snot out of it darlin'". So there's that.
- Drain the pasta but don't rinse it. Mix about ¼ cup of plain mayonnaise with the macaroni to coat it and keep it from sticking. You can also use olive oil for this but I don't recommend it.
- I recommend Hellmann's Mayonnaise. I just like it the best.
- Always go by taste with the dressing. I use a lot more sugar than is called for in the recipe - I probably use ⅓ of a cup because we like things on the sweet side. Adjust to your own tastes.
- Full disclosure - Just to be honest - I double the salad olives because I love them.
- Let the flavors blend at least two hours in the refrigerator before serving. It's better the next day.
- You may need to add a little more dressing just before serving if the macaroni soaks up all of the moisture. Just be prepared to make more and stir it in.
- If the dressing seems too thick after it's mellowed in the fridge you can add a little cream or milk to balance it out.
- Always keep macaroni salad chilled in the refrigerator until ready to serve and cover and put leftovers back in the refrigerator promptly.
- Old fashioned macaroni salad is fantastic for potlucks and cookouts (everyone loves it!) but you MUST keep it cold. The easiest way is to fill a big bowl with ice and keep the bowl of macaroni salad in the bowl of ice.
👩🍳 FAQs
Here are the most commonly asked questions about this recipe. If you don't find the answer to yours here leave a comment below or email me - I'll get back to you as soon as I can!
Be sure to let the macaroni cool completely before adding the rest of the ingredients. And, it's always a good idea to be prepared to add a little more dressing just before serving.
It will be fine for up to five days as long as it's in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap.
Throw it away after two hours. Mayonnaise is notorious for going bad quickly in the heat.
If you use vegan mayonnaise then, yes, it is vegan! Double check the ingredients in your pasta to ensure that it is vegan as well.
Original Hellmann's Macaroni Salad Recipe ...Sort Of
As far as I know this is the classic macaroni salad recipe that Mom (no doubt) cut from the paper, or package of something or other. I'm guessing Hellmann's Mayonnaise.
She was not a creative cook so I imagine it is pretty much as written. I have considered updating it but I just can't bring myself to mess with it. It's perfect the way it is.
My mom told me that the secret was to overcook the macaroni. No al dente here, folks. Cook it until it is very tender but still holds its shape.
It will soak up the flavor from the creamy dressing that way. It is always better the second day so make it ahead of time if you can.
Sometimes, when I am feeling particularly rebellious, I will add some fresh parsley or tarragon.
Just sayin'.
📚 Related recipes
Man cannot live on macaroni salad alone, right? Here are some other great summer recipe ideas!
- BBQ Mac Salad is a yummy variation on this recipe that ALWAYS disappears at potlucks and picnics! A little spicy, a little tangy, and a lot delicious!
- Black Eyed Pea Salad is another summer salad that works really well with grilled beef dishes. It's sometimes called Texas Caviar.
- Pea and Cheese Salad is a mixture of everything good and bacon, too.
- Italian Tortellini Pasta Salad is a combination of cheese tortellini and asparagus in a zesty Italian dressing.
- Frito Corn Salad is absolutely perfect for cookouts! Crunchy Fritos, sweet corn, and cheese are mixed with a creamy, taco flavored dressing.
What’s new? Check out my Restless Chipotle & Co. Store on Amazon where you'll find all kinds of nostalgic goodness! Thanks so much for being a part of Restless Chipotle!
Serve with...
It's the perfect side dish with all your summer favorites!
- Grilled meats of all kinds
- Burgers
- BBQ
- Grilled fresh vegetables - I like vegetable platters for light summer meals
- Sandwiches
📞 The last word
I grew up on this dish for dinner. In the summer my mom just didn't cook a lot because of the heat and it was the main course.
If it was the weekend dad would grill but during the week? We were likely to eat a cold pasta salad. We were not big eaters.
Meals were often just what happened to be in the fridge and could consist of cantaloupe with ice cream, or sandwiches, or strawberry shortcake, or the best macaroni salad ever.
Seriously. Mom made the best.
I think her secret was making macaroni salad with green olives! Lots and lots (and lots) of olives.
If you were still hungry afterward? Ah... the sound of my mom's voice echoes through the decades...Grab a carrot.
The answer to world hunger as far as my mom was concerned was raw carrots. Snack food? Carrots. Craving something? Grab a carrot.
And you know what my kids hear when they are wanting a snack? Yep... Grab a carrot.
Anyway, to me macaroni salad was summertime. I was a bit of a picky eater but I could put this stuff away. My kids can, too.
This recipe is best made at least 8 hours before you are ready to serve it. Make it up to 2 days ahead of time.
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!
If you love this recipe please give it a 5 star rating. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Old Fashioned Macaroni Salad
Print Add to CollectionEquipment Needed
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried elbow macaroni, uncooked small elbows or shells
- 2 cups Hellmann's mayonnaise, or homemade
- ¼ cup cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons mustard, plain yellow prepared
- 2 tablespoons sugar, more or less to taste
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, more to taste
- 2 cups celery, celery - thinly sliced
- 1 cup red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- ½ cup onion, peeled and chopped
- ¼ cup carrot, grated
- 1 cup salad olives with pimentos, drained
Instructions
Step one
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Pour in elbow macaroni and cook until very tender.
- Drain completely but don't rinse.
- Stir a little mayonnaise into the macaroni to keep it from sticking.
- Cool completely.
Step two
- Combine mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, salt, pepper, and sugar in a small bowl and mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning and sweetness.
- Put the cooled macaroni, celery, carrot, onion, peppers, and olives in a large bowl.
- Pour mayonnaise mixture over and stir gently to combine.
- Cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight if time permits.
- Add a little more dressing if necessary before serving
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days - keep chilled if you are bringing it to a cookout or picnic.
Notes
- Use salted water to cook the macaroni - about 2 tablespoons salt to 1 gallon of water.
- Elbow macaroni is traditional but I do love a good shell macaroni salad! The ingredients get stuck in the shells...perfection.
- Slightly overcook your pasta. I know the directions say not to overcook it but trust me on this. I once asked Mom why her macaroni salad was better than mine and she said (and I quote) "You have to cook the snot out of it darlin'". So there's that.
- Drain the pasta but don't rinse it. Mix about ¼ cup of plain mayonnaise with the macaroni to coat it and keep it from sticking. You can also use olive oil for this but I don't recommend it.
- I recommend Hellmann's Mayonnaise. I just like it the best.
- Let it cool before adding the dressing and vegetables! If you add your vegetables to the hot macaroni they'll lose their crispness.
- Always go by taste with the dressing. I use a lot more sugar than is called for in the recipe - I probably use ⅓ of a cup because we like things on the sweet side. Adjust to your own tastes.
- Full disclosure - Just to be honest - I double the salad olives because I love them.
- Let the flavors blend at least two hours in the refrigerator before serving. Overnight is better.
- You may need to add a little more dressing just before serving if the macaroni soaks up all of the moisture. Just be prepared to make more and stir it in.
- If the dressing seems too thick after it's mellowed in the fridge you can add a little cream or milk to balance it out.
- Always keep macaroni salad chilled in the refrigerator until ready to serve and cover and put leftovers back in the refrigerator promptly.
- This is fantastic for potlucks and cookouts but you MUST keep it cold. The easiest way is to fill a big bowl with ice and keep the bowl of macaroni salad in the bowl of ice.
Nutrition Facts
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We'll never share your email or send you spam. Pinkie swear.First published August 1, 2010. Last updated May 5, 2021 for better readability.
Nina M
This is my second time using this recipe for a pot-luck bbq, as the first time was a smashing success and I was so very glad for leftovers the next day! I love that your website has the portion multiplier for the ingredient quantities. If only every other website did that, my life would be so much easier!
Anyway, I picked this recipe out of many that I looked at on the internet, as it seemed the most like one I had made as a young teenager at a friend's sleepover. I distinctly recalled that old recipe included "White wine Worcester sauce" which now is identified as marinade for chicken and not on my local grocers' shelves but only online. I substituted the regular Worcestershire sauce (measured to taste) and eliminated the pimento stuffed green olives. I also added a heavy couple of shakes of dried mustard powder (in addition to the yellow mustard) and also another couple of heavy shakes of my own dried crushed parsley that I had set up from last year's garden...I could have used fresh, but I didn't want that texture to go to mush.
After measuring everything out the first time, my husband (home chef) tasted the dish and recommended another healthy splash of apple cider vinegar, which I did. Oh my! It turned out perfect! It did need stirring before and during food service and I also kept it in a covered pyrex container over ice, as it was a blaring hot day. I was mother hen over that dish, throwing it back in my cooler as soon as everyone got a portion because there was no way I was going to let that spoil and not be able to eat the leftovers. Day two was even better, since I'm always last minute throwing stuff together and it only originally sat for about an hour or so before our bbq party. Well, I'm still last minute making it again today for the second time, and this time I was more heavy handed in my "measure" so we could have extra sauce to absorb.
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! It's av keeper!! If I could have figured out how to attach a photo, I would have included that here...💌
Marye
I am glad you liked it! Thanks for letting me know... You can always add a photo to the facebook page https://www.facebook.com/RestlessChipotle/
Keely
My moms was very similar to this. She used the juice that came in the olives instead of straight vinegar.
Marye
That is brilliant! I'm going to try it next time! Thanks!
Tracy Arrington
OMG, are you kidding me right now? Made this as written, (halved the recipe) super delicious. It's now my go-to mac salad recipe. Been eating on it for 3 days and am not tired of it yet. Bravo and thanks for sharing.
Carlee
Mmmmm! There is something about a classic like this that really makes you want more! This looks delicious!
Marye Audet
Thanks! Yep - I grew up on it so it's big comfort food for me!
Lucie Bougie
Oh my, this macaroni salade is excellent it makes a change to mine, thanks! ??????
Marye Audet
🙂 Thanks!
aimee @shugarysweets
I'm a sucker for any kind of macaroni salad!!! This looks fabulous 🙂
Marye Audet
Me too, Aimee! I can eat way too much of this stuff!
Kathleen
Reading that made my stomach growl. 🙂 My mom used to add small cubes of cheese and hard boiled egg.
Kathy W.
I made this as a side for dinner tonight. I only had green bell peppers, and I skipped the olives and used a fresh-picked tomato instead.
I had to guess on the mustard -- I wasn't sure if you meant dry or prepared...so given the era it was from, I used prepared yellow.
I liked it. One kid who prefers spicy brown mustard suggested that would be better. Another person who isn't a fan of celery commented that maybe less celery.
Dh who is allergic to wheat didn't eat it at all. (I made him other things...)
We must not eat as much as your crew because we have plenty left over.
I tell ya, you'd go nuts around here feeding people. LOL
Fran
I had this as a 13 year old ...My sister use to make it thanks for the sweet memories...and the recipe 2.....
maryeaudet
I grew up on it, Fran. Isn't it funny how foods do that to us?
Kathy W.
I know you said you have never messed with it...but if a random person were to detest olives but like tomatoes, do you think tomatoes could be substituted for olives?
maryeaudet
Sure Kathy... Chop small - I think it would be amazing.