M knows I love macaroni salad but it so rarely lives up to my expectations. I should try it at every deli I have access to, but I just forget, even though it’s one of those things that I remember very fondly from my childhood. I suppose that not having it all the time makes it even more special, like Lorna Doone shortbread cookies and whole milk I used to have a Aunt A’s all those years ago before I turned double digits in age.
We made it on Labor Day and then again on today. So. good.
For the half recipe yesterday, M used 3 TBSP sugar (she actually threw out the first dressing she made on Labor Day because it was waaaaaaaay toooooooooo sweet(. I used 1.75 stalks of celery and .75 red bell pepper. We have never added the carrots or pimento peppers. So simple and so good.
Ingredients
4 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
2/3 cup white sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 large onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup grated carrot (optional)
2 tablespoons chopped pimento peppers (optional)
Directions
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni, and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Rinse under cold water and drain.
In a large bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, mustard, salt and pepper. Stir in the onion, celery, green pepper, carrot, pimentos and macaroni. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving, but preferably overnight.