Need a simple recipe for macaroni salad

[Minnie_me]

My friend sent me her "recipe", but it didn't give any specific amounts of anything, and I REALLY need that!!!

My DH and kids loved her mac salad, cuz it wasn't soupy (it was "nice and dry", as my DD put it - LOL!). She uses only mayo, garlic powder and mustard, but I don't know HOW MUCH!!!

Anybody have a real simple - not too soupy! - recipe for mac salad???

 

[NAB]

My mac salad is pretty easy and plain.

We put 1 can tuna , 3 to 4 cups of small shell macorni or elbow and enough mayo to mix it together( this one is your call). The next day you usually need to add more mayo because it becomes really dry then.

We use Mircle Whip once and while too instead of mayo.

 

[GeorgeG]

Cook up some elbow macaroni, mix in some solid white canned tuna (amount to your liking), and some mayonaise (amount to your liking). If you like, add some garlic powder, but it's not necessary. The amount of mayo will be determined by how dry or wet you like it. Best served chilled. My method is basic Keep It Simple (Stupid) or K.I.S.S.. You can always add more spice or flavor if that's what you like.

 

[Minnie_me]

But HOW MUCH mayo?? I hate mayo, I hate macaroni salad. So it's hard for me to tell how much is "right". 1 cup? 2 cups? 3 cups? I honestly have no idea whatsoever.

The kitchen is not my friend.......

 

[NAB]

Just until it is mixed up....Maybe a cup. I never measure it. It is almost like making egg salad if you like alot of mayo you put it in if you don't you add until it looks right to you. In your case a little at a time maybe until the stuff sticks together and that is it.

 

[hercamore]

Start at half a cup, I never put in more than a cup.

Remember, ifs it dry you're after, serve it the day after you make it.

 

[Minnie_me]

Got it! I just made some, and the kids LOVED it!!

I'm so intimidated by cooking.............

 

[Carl]

Got it! I just made some, and the kids LOVED it!!

I'm so intimidated by cooking.............

Did you put in Tuna? I really don't call that macaroni salad. I call that tuna salad.

 

[NAB]

Tuna salad to me is when you put it in a sandwich like egg salad....

This has macaroni in it so it is our macaroni salad.

Glad you tried making it , which ever one it was. It is pretty well trial and error when it comes to making any salad. You put in what you like.


Can't say I love to cook either. So all my meals are pretty simple. Baking is my thing.

 

[Minnie_me]

Did you put in Tuna? I really don't call that macaroni salad. I call that tuna salad.

Nope - - my kids hate tuna. It was just macaroni, mayo, mustard, celery and a bit of garlic salt. NO egg, either.

 

[Papa Deuce]

Funny story... I had an Ex GF who was a bad cook. I mean B A D....

She showed up at my house one time with Macaroni Salad for my party.... She NEVER COOKED THE MACARONI!!!!

Whan I asked her why, she said "Because I thought the mayonaise made it soft".

 

[clutter]

Funny story... I had an Ex GF who was a bad cook. I mean B A D....

She showed up at my house one time with Macaroni Salad for my party.... She NEVER COOKED THE MACARONI!!!!

Whan I asked her why, she said "Because I thought the mayonaise made it soft".

Another way to make macaroni salad:

Cooked macaroni (didn't want to confuse anyone! )
A dribble of vegatable oil (maybe a teaspoon)
A begger dribble of vinegar (maybe a tablespoon)
Some mayo (start with a big serving spoon heaped with it, add more if necessary)

Add chopped up celery, onion, carrots and tomato, salt and pepper.

 

[FormrCastMbr]

Here is my macaroni salad recipe (really easy, really good!):

1 1/2 # box of elbow macaroni
1/2 bunch of green onions, chopped (I have substituted red onion for these and it was great...about 1/3 cup finely chopped)
red, yellow and green peppers, equivalent to 2 peppers, chopped fine
2 generous tsp of dijon mustard
1 1/2 cup mayo
celery salt
salt, pepper, celery seed to taste

Cook macaroni in salted water, drain.

While noodles are still hot, mix in mustard and mayo in a large bowl.

Mixture should be wet but not creamy. Mix in onions, peppers, salt, pepper and about a 1/2 tsp of celery seed.

Sprinkle celery salt over the top of salad, mix.

Taste to see if more spices and mayo are needed.

Chill for at least 3 hours prior to serving.

ETA: This is not soupy at all...now I am craving the stuff...If I wasn't going to Disney this weekend, I'd be making this...

 

[Minnie_me]

Funny story... I had an Ex GF who was a bad cook. I mean B A D....

She showed up at my house one time with Macaroni Salad for my party.... She NEVER COOKED THE MACARONI!!!!

Whan I asked her why, she said "Because I thought the mayonaise made it soft".

OMG - - thank you so much for that! Now I know that I'm not the WORST cook in the world!!!!

 

[phragmipedium]

Mine's cooked macaroni, diced hardboiled egg, mayo, mustard, rice vinegar, garlic & onion powder, salt and pepper. I do potato salad the same way, with diced, boiled red potatoes instead of macaroni. Just mix the macaroni and eggs, and then you can go about it two ways - either you can mix up the dressing in a separate bowl and then add it to the macaroni, or you can just dump your dressing ingredients on the macaroni to begin with and stir everything up. I mix everything in one bowl. I don't care for real onions, and I know they're in most salads like this, but I took my onion-less version of potato salad to a party this weekend and it was a hit.

I cook everything to taste - add a little bit at a time until I like it. That's why I rarely bake - you actually have to measure for that to turn out properly. I'm typically tinkering with recipes anyway to begin with since I'm picky about ingredients, so this works for me. My husband actually measures two cups of water to make ramen noodles and he also measures the ingredients for Kraft macaroni & cheese, and I laugh every time. It's more fun for me if I'm not tied down to a specific recipe.

 

[MushyMushy]

Be brave with macaroni salad!

You sound like me. I need an exact recipe for everything. I'm not great in the kitchen. But when it comes to macaroni salad, you can't really screw up too much. I just add mayo until it's a consistency I like and then add a few little things (green peppers, onions, celery, boiled egg)