Description
Whether it’s sitting next to some smoky ribs or just a humble hot dog, this deli-style macaroni salad will always be a crowd favorite, as long as you pay attention to a few key details.
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise (Optional)
- ¼ cup white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, or more to taste
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon white sugar, or more to taste
- 1 cup finely diced celery
- ¾ cup diced red bell pepper
- ½ cup grated carrot
- ½ cup chopped green onions, white and light parts
- ¼ cup diced jalapeno pepper
- ¼ cup diced poblano pepper
- 1 (16 ounce) package uncooked elbow macaroni
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise (Optional)
- 1 tablespoon water (Optional)
Instructions
- Whisk 1 cup mayonnaise
- vinegar
- Dijon mustard
- salt
- black pepper
- and cayenne pepper together in a bowl until well blended; whisk in sugar. Stir in celery
- red bell pepper
- carrot
- onions
- and jalapeno and poblano peppers. Refrigerate until macaroni is ready to dress.
- Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water
- stirring occasionally until cooked through
- 8 to 10 minutes. Drain but do not rinse. Allow macaroni to drain in a colander about 5 minutes
- shaking out moisture from time to time. Pour macaroni into large bowl; toss to separate and cool to room temperature. Macaroni should be sticky.
- Pour dressing over macaroni and stir until dressing is evenly distributed. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or
- ideally
- overnight to allow dressing to absorb into the macaroni.
- Stir salad before serving. Mix 1 tablespoon mayonnaise and 1 tablespoon water into salad for fresher look.
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 8 mins
Total Time: 4 hrs 33 mins
Servings: 12