Description
A classic creamy macaroni salad packed with crunchy vegetables, tangy pickles, and hard-boiled eggs, dressed in a flavorful blend of mayonnaise, sour cream, and sweet pickle juice. Perfect for summer picnics, potlucks, or as a chilled side dish.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta and Eggs
- 1 (16 ounce) package macaroni
- 4 eggs
Dressing
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground mustard
- 2 tablespoons sweet pickle juice
- 2 tablespoons celery seed
Vegetables and Add-ins
- 1 cup chopped celery
- ½ cup chopped red onion
- ½ cup pimento-stuffed green olives
- ¼ cup chopped sweet pickle
- 2 carrots, grated
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
Instructions
- Cook the Macaroni: Boil the macaroni in salted water until it is al dente, about 8-10 minutes. Drain well and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process and cool the pasta. Set aside.
- Prepare the Eggs: Boil the eggs for about 10-12 minutes until hard boiled. Cool them under cold running water, peel, and chop into small pieces.
- Make the Dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, ground mustard, sweet pickle juice, celery seed, salt, and black pepper until smooth and creamy.
- Combine Salad Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, add the cooked macaroni, chopped celery, red onion, pimento-stuffed olives, chopped sweet pickles, grated carrots, chopped green bell pepper, and chopped eggs. Pour the dressing over and gently toss all the ingredients together until evenly coated.
- Chill and Serve: Cover the salad and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving to allow flavors to meld and the salad to chill thoroughly.
Notes
- For best results, prepare the macaroni salad a few hours ahead of time so the flavors can meld.
- You can substitute plain yogurt for sour cream for a lighter version.
- Add more or less pickle juice to adjust tanginess to taste.
- Use fresh vegetables for added crunch and color variety.
- Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator and consume within 3 days.
