I love this classic American macaroni salad with mayo. This homemade pasta salad is better than the Deli salad available at the store. It is perfect for a meal or a side dish for BBQ, summer potlucks, and picnics. Try choosing the pasta shape, that will hold onto the dressing. Elbow macaroni, small shells, or even spiral-shaped pasta work great. You can also add more healthy and colorful veggies like red radish, celery, and red cabbage. Check out more Macaroni recipes from my blog Mac and Cheese (Instant Pot), Vegan Macaroni and Cheese.
Ingredients
How to Make Classic Macaroni Salad Recipe
Cooking Macaroni Pasta
Stovetop Pot Method
In a large pot, bring the water to a boil. Stir in the salt. Add the macaroni to the water, and stir a few times to prevent the pasta from sticking together. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions (about 10-12 minutes), occasionally stirring, until al dente or softer according to the desired texture. Once the pasta is cooked, drain the excess water and keep it aside.
Instant Pot Method
Add dry macaroni, water, salt to the Instant Pot. Most of the pasta should be covered in water. If it is not, add some more water. Furthermore, close the lid on the pot. Pressure Cook (high pressure) for 4 minutes. Note: I am using elbow macaroni pasta in this recipe which has 10 minutes for cooking on the stovetop. So to cook on Instant Pot – Divide the cooking time by half and minus one for al dente pasta. So it’s 4 minutes. For softer pasta, do 5 minutes. When the instant pot beeps, wait for 5 minutes and Quick Release the remaining pressure manually. Then open the lid, and drain if there is any extra water.
Mix together the mayonnaise, yellow mustard, white vinegar, red chili powder, sugar, salt, and ground pepper in a large bowl. Stir in the carrot, onion, celery, colored bell pepper, and cooked macaroni. Mix well. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving, but preferably overnight. Deli Style Homemade Creamy Macaroni Salad is ready to serve.
Tips & Variations
More Salad Recipes
Chickpea Salad with Yogurt dressing Boiled Peanut Salad Chickpea Cucumber Salad Avocado Cucumber Tomato Salad Creamy Cucumber Salad Thai Salad with peanut dressing
More Pasta Recipes
Creamy Tomato Pasta Butternut Squash Pasta Avocado Pasta Creamy Spinach Pasta Mac and Cheese
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