A Classic Macaroni Salad that is a hit at all my parties and BBQs with both kids and adults. It’s quick, easy and delicious which makes it the perfect side dish. Make it for summer parties, 4th of July or a potluck!
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This Macaroni Salad comes straight for my husband’s family’s recipe box! Particularly his Mom’s, so I knew it was going to be a tried and true recipe that has been tested over and over. This simple and basic Macaroni salad has pasta, shredded cheese, ham and peas that’s covered in a mayonnaise sauce.
The hubby has requested this salad since were married I think. I had some leftover ham in the fridge after making One Pot Ham & Penne Skillet so I decided to attempt this recipe. It really wasn’t an “attempt” as it’s a pretty simple recipe, but this was round two on it!
The first time I made this I didn’t have his mother’s recipe and he just didn’t think it tasted right so after that I learned, always get the original! I bugged his sister and she delivered so I had the actual recipe this time.
Macaroni Salad Recipe
I’m proud to say his whole face lit up when he saw that I had made this salad. This salad must be his favorite because he even remembers his mom made it for graduation! He then quickly dished himself an entire bowl and snuck off to the basement to watch his “shows” and enjoy the salad.
This would be perfect for all your summer grilling and time at the lake!
This has also became one of my favorite salads to serve at my kid’s birthday parties. The bowl is always cleaned out by the end of the party so it’s a staple in my rotation, plus my girls love to sneak into the fridge and grab some before the party even starts.
What Should I Serve with Pasta Salad?
I love bringing this to potlucks and serving it at parties, plus it makes a great side dish to summer meals! Here are a few of my favorite recipes to pair with this Macaroni Salad.
How Long Can Macaroni Salad Sit Out
This is a bit of a tricky question. Macaroni salad can sit out for up to 2 hours at room temperature, but there are factors that play into this. If it is sitting in the sun at an outdoor function it can spoil much faster. Try to keep it in the shade when you are serving otherwise put a large bowl under the bowl with the macaroni salad in it and then put ice in that bowl to keep it cold longer.
How Long Can I Store Macaroni Salad in the Fridge
You can safely store this macaroni salad in the fridge for up to 5 days. Store in an airtight container to maximize freshness. 
What Do You Put in Macaroni Salad?
These are the ingredients you will need to make this easy Macaroni Salad
- Shell macaroni
- Celery salt
- Onion salt
- Mayonnaise
- Prepared mustard
- Seasoning salt
- Cheddar cheese
- Peas
- Ham
Other great additions to this macaroni salad would be red onion, celery, bell pickle, relish and hard boiled eggs. You can totally change this up to reflect your personal taste. That’s why I love this classic macaroni salad so much!
How to Make Macaroni Salad
- Boil shell macaroni according to directions. Drain, rinse with cold water and set aside.
- Mix together celery salt, onion salt, Mayonnaise, mustard and seasoning salt in large bowl. Add noodles, cheddar cheese, peas and ham. Mix well. Chill until serving.
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Macaroni Salad
Ingredients
- 16 oz shell macaroni
- 1/2 tsp celery salt
- 1 tsp onion salt
- 1 pt mayonnaise
- 3/4 tsp prepared mustard
- 1/4 tsp seasoning salt
- 8 oz cheddar cheese grated
- 1 16 oz pkg frozen peas, rinsed with warm water
- 1 c. diced ham
Instructions
- Boil shell macaroni according to directions. Drain, rinse with cold water and set aside.
- Mix together celery salt, onion salt, Mayonnaise, mustard, seasoning salt in large bowl. Add noodles, cheddar cheese, peas and ham. Mix well. Chill until serving.
I look forward to trying this 🙂
Oy. Childhood memories just flooded back for me!
Pinning and can’t wait to try!
Sounds like a great recipe to try! Please forgive me for sounding dumb, but I have a few questions…1-when you say “salad dressing”, do you mean mayonnaise? 2-by “mustard”, do you mean just the regular yellow mustard? 3-what is your favorite brand of season salt? Thank you!
Salad Dressing – I used Miracle Whip, but it’s a personal preference and you can also use mayonnaise!
Mustard – Is yellow mustard. Not the dry mustard.
Seasoning Salt – My favorite is Lowry’s, but each to their own!
Hope this helps!
I love peas in pasta salad! Thanks for sharing at Church Supper. Have a blessed week & please come back soon ~EMM
Looks like the one they serve at Ruby Tuesdays, cannot wait to try it.
Thanks Nancy!
Tried it tonight. Oh my goodness good.
Great Nancy!
Every Saturday morning I wake up, have my coffee and start my menu planning for the week. My husband chimes in once in a while and points things out. This last week he saw this as I was scrolling away looking for new things to try and of course he is a man and likes the basic simple things in life. So I gave it a whirl and oh my stars….this was fantastic. Even better a few days later. I only made half the recipe as there are only two of us. This will be my go-to mac salad for summer BBQ’s. Thank you!!
Oh I’m so glad to hear this Melanie! This is my husband’s mom’s recipe and it’s always a favorite at any event!
What to do. For too much cerley salt in the macaroni salad please help
I’m sorry there’s not much you can do unless you double the entire recipe and skip the celery salt the next time!