Grandma’s classic macaroni salad features a blend of elbow noodles, cool veggies, and a creamy tangy sauce. This side dish is perfect for picnics and potlucks all summer long!

Southerners do certain things really well.

Macaroni salad, potato salad, deviled eggs, and cornbread.

All Southern classics.

This macaroni salad is exactly the way you’d expect a Southern style mac salad to be- creamy, simple, but oh so full of flavor.

Ingredients

To make this you’ll need:

Noodles– Elbow macaroni is preferable, but you could technically use another small tube pasta like penne or even rotini or bow ties.
Veggies– Peeled and diced cucumbers and halved cherry tomatoes
Mayonnaise– Real mayo and not mayonnaise style dressing or Miracle Whip.
Pickled banana pepper juice– Make sure you are using juice from mild pickled banana peppers
Celery salt

How to Make

This macaroni salad is so easy!

Just cook the noodles according to the directions on the package.

When it’s done, drain the pasta and run it under cold water until the pasta is cool.

Once it has drained completely, transfer it to a large mixing bowl.

Then add the veggies to the bowl with the pasta and toss it together.

Stir in the mayo, pepper juice, and celery salt until it’s all evenly combined.

Serve and enjoy!

Storing

Store macaroni salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Why is my macaroni salad not creamy?

If you didn’t cook the macaroni enough, the dressing won’t really stick to the macaroni properly.

If this happens, it might dry out,

Should I make macaroni salad the night before?

You can if you want to!

If you do, it gives the pasta a chance to really absorb the flavors.

Tips and Tricks

When seasoning the pasta salad with the celery salt, start with less, mix it in and then adjust to taste. Some brands may be saltier than others, and it’s much easier to add more than try to fix overly salty pasta salad.
This classic macaroni salad can be served immediately or chilled beforehand. The pasta will absorb the juice, so you may need to add a bit more mayo and pepper brine before serving to bring it back to its original creamy consistency.
Make sure to cook the pasta until it is done. Do not undercook it or the dressing may not be creamy enough.

Other Pasta Salads

Grandma’s classic macaroni salad is an easy side perfect for potlucks and picnics.

Make it and enjoy!

Looking for other pasta salads?

Try these:

If you’ve tried this CLASSIC MACARONI SALAD, or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!