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? Next time try my Italian pasta salad version! It's full of tangy, fresh flavor. Or how about the Italian green bean salad?
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🗝️ Key takeaways
- Creamy and delicious! You can make this classic side dish recipe up tp 2 days ahead of time.
- Classic macaroni salad is perfect for all your summer picnics, potlucks, and parties - everyone loves old-fashioned macaroni salad!
- Making macaroni salad a day ahead of time will allow the flavors to blend and improve the flavor.
This is 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, bell peppers, 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. Ditalini macaroni is fantastic for this recipe.
- 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 theirs
- 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. No problem leaving it out if you don't care for it.
- 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 cooked pasta 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.
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- Measuring cups and spoons
- Large mixing bowl
- Sharp knife
- Whisk
- Stockpot
- Colander
- Wooden spoon
- Box grater
🥫 How to store leftover macaroni salad
This easy macaroni salad recipe 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.
- Be sure to use regular mayo and not low-fat or fat-free.
- 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 questions I am most frequently asked about this recipe.
Nope. The veggies will get slimy and the dressing will end up being a weird texture.
Be sure to let the macaroni cool completely before making your salad. That way it won't soak up so much dressing. It's also a good idea to keep some extra dressing on hand just in case.
It's got mayonnaise so you'll want to throw it away at the 2-hour mark if it hasn't been put away.
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 newspaper or a 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.
- Layered Cornbread Salad feeds a crowd! I love it for potlucks!
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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
Old-fashioned macaroni salad is a summer staple. How in the world would we have potlucks, church picnics, family reunions, and cookouts without a big Tupperware bowl of it on the table somewhere?
It's a family favorite.
There are a lot of ways to make these heirloom recipes but I find that the more simple it is the more I like it.
I think the flavor is a little rough at first but if you let it chill in the fridge a little and give it time to settle down I guarantee you'll like it a lot better.
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.
If you love this recipe please give it a 5 star rating. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Old Fashioned Macaroni Salad
Print SaveEquipment 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
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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
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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I grew up on this dish for dinner. It's my absolute favorite hot weather recipe.
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 - plus the way she made the creamy pasta salad dressing with mayo.
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.
Make at least 8 hours before you are ready to serve it for best flavors. Make it up to 2 days ahead of time.
First published August 1, 2010. Last updated August 30, 2023 for editorial improvements.
Azaela
I grew up in WV and the annual church picnic always had macaroni salad with olives diced up in it. I loved it but rarely find a recipe made with green cocktail olives. I kept the olives to a cup but instead of tossing the pasta with mayo I tossed it in a little of the olive brine for extra olive flavor. It’s chilling overnight. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Marye
I always add a little of the olive "juice" too.
Lorraine
Since I saw your recipe fo this Macaroni salad I will never use any other recipe
for this dish. I am 80 years old, and finally found that your recipe is so creamy
and delicious - I love it!
o
Rita
I left out the carrots and put hard boiled eggs with a little bit more mustard Best I Ever Had thank you