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Home » Recipes

Delectable Southern Macaroni Salad Recipe

Oct 21, 2022Last Modified: October 24, 2022

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This page may contain affiliate links. I receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase using my link. This post is about a Delectable Southern Macaroni Salad Recipe!

Creamy macaroni salad with chopped hard boiled eggs and green peppers garnished with green onion slices in a white bowl with the stem of a spoon pictured at the top right.
Jump to:
  • What is Southern Macaroni Salad?
  • Why You Will Love This Recipe
  • 🥘 Ingredients
  • 🔪 Instructions
  • How To Serve This Easy Macaroni Salad
  • FAQ
  • Some Other Recipes You May Enjoy
  • Join Me On A Fun Food Journey!
  • Delectable Southern Macaroni Salad Recipe

If you are yearning for an easy, delectable, and creamy Southern Macaroni Salad recipe then you have come to the right place!

What is Southern Macaroni Salad?

Macaroni salad, like potato salad, is a classic side dish and a deli staple. It's often served at summer barbecues and is a fixture at potluck dinners.

There are some regional variations when it comes to macaroni salad. For example, Hawaiian macaroni salad typically contains shredded carrots and the macaroni may be cooked until it is very soft (i.e. overcooked).

Classic southern macaroni salad contains macaroni that is cooked al dente (firm). It also typically contains lots of creamy mayonnaise, hard-boiled eggs, sweet pickle relish, and onions. Green bell pepper or fresh crunchy celery is also included for some nice crunch. 😃

Why You Will Love This Recipe

I'm confident your family will love this great side dish! And you will love this recipe because:

  • This recipe uses fresh ingredients that combine to give this cold pasta salad a delicious flavor (as good as your deli macaroni salad!)
  • It's super easy to make. The hardest part is peeling the hard-boiled eggs 😅. Other than that, you only have to cook the macaroni and mince some green bell pepper and onion, and that's it!
  • This is the perfect side dish to accompany not only fried chicken and barbecue, but any of your favorite mains.
  • This salad is so nice and creamy. The creamy dressing, with mayonnaise as its base, is made even creamier with the addition of plenty of chopped hard-boiled eggs.

So let me tell you what you will need to make this Southern creamy macaroni salad!

🥘 Ingredients

You will only need a few ingredients to make this easy and delicious recipe.

Cooked macaroni in a white dish, chopped hard boiled eggs in a yellow bowl, small bowls containing each of the following: mustard, sweet relish, mayonnaise, seasonings, chopped green bell pepper, and diced onion.
  • Elbow macaroni, cooked according to package directions. Aim to cook them al dente (with a bit of bite to them)
  • Hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
  • Sweet relish
  • Onion (I used yellow onion, but you can sub some crisp red onion if you prefer)
  • Green bell pepper (can sub red bell pepper)
  • Mayonnaise
  • Mustard (I used Dijon mustard, but feel free to sub yellow mustard)
  • Cayenne
  • Salt
  • Black Pepper
  • Garlic powder (can also sub onion powder)
  • Green onions sliced, for garnish

Try to use the best quality mayonnaise for this macaroni salad as it really does make a difference!

🔪 Instructions

Hard boil your eggs and then peel and chop them. You can cut down on this prep step by using a product like Eggland's Best Hard Cooked Peeled Eggs. If you need instructions as to how to hard boil your eggs, check out this tutorial from Egg Farmers of Cananda on "How To Make The Perfect Hard Boiled Egg."

Mince the onion and the green bell pepper. Using a food processor makes this a snap!

Prepare the macaroni noodles according to your package directions and drain. Rinse under cold water to cool the macaroni down.

In a large bowl combine all ingredients and mix together.

Cooked macaroni, chopped hard boiled eggs, seasonging, sweet relish and green bell pepper in a white mixing bowl.
Add the ingredients to a large mixing bowl.
A white mixing bowl filled with cooked macaroni, chopped up hard boiled egg, mayo, mustard, and sweet relish being stirred with a yellow spoon with a wooden handle and a hand in the picture holding the spoon.
Stir to combine all the ingredients.

Taste and adjust for seasoning by adding additional salt and pepper to your tastes.  Then add sliced green onions as a beautiful garnish and the perfect finishing touch.

Behold your delectable creamy Southern Macaroni Salad!

Macaroni, chopped hard boiled eggs, and chopped green peppers coated with mayonnaise and mustard in a white mixing bowl with a spoon containing this macaroni in the foreground.

How To Serve This Easy Macaroni Salad

Creamy macaroni salad with chopped hard boiled eggs and green peppers garnished with green onion slices in a white bowl with the stem of a spoon in the background.

You'll probably want to dig right in after making this classic macaroni salad recipe! And that's perfectly acceptable. 😊

So although this is traditionally a cold salad, you can also serve it at room temperature. It is typically not heated, though.

This great recipe is here for you whenever you need an easy and delicious side dish. It's also the perfect make-ahead side dish, as you can keep it refrigerated for a couple of days and pull it out whenever you are ready for it. Actually, the salad may taste better a day or two after (I think so anyway!).

It's also ideal for family reunions, and you'll certainly want to include it at your next picnic.

I certainly hope that you will give this a try and let me know what you think! A printable recipe card with nutritional information is available below.

FAQ

How do I store macaroni salad?

Store macaroni salad in an airtight container in your fridge. It is best consumed in about 4 days.

What is macaroni sauce made of?

The macaroni sauce (or dressing) is typically made of mayonnaise, sweet relish, and sometimes mustard.

What goes well with macaroni salad?

Macaroni salad goes well with all your favorite mains! It's especially great with fried chicken and barbecue!

Some Other Recipes You May Enjoy

Here are some other recipes you may enjoy!

  • Refreshing Southern Cucumber Salad
  • Delicious and Hearty Pink Beans Recipe
  • Absolutely Must Try Nashville Hot Chicken

Join Me On A Fun Food Journey!

I invite you to come along on this food journey with me! Please sign up to get the latest recipes and inspiration for you to expand your food comfort zone! It's an incredible journey, please join me by signing up here.

Cheers!

Grace

Creamy macaroni salad with chopped hard boiled eggs and green peppers garnished with green onion slices in a white bowl with the stem of a spoon in the background.

Delectable Southern Macaroni Salad Recipe

Grace
This delectable Southern Macaroni Salad Recipe is the PERFECT and easy side dish! Ideal with fried chicken, barbecue, and any of your favorite mains!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 5 mins
Total Time 15 mins
Course accompaniment, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 5 people
Calories 558 kcal

Equipment

  • large mixing bowl

Ingredients
  

  • ½ pound elbow macaroni
  • 4 hard boiled eggs peeled and chopped; You can cut down on this prep step by using a product like Eggland's Best Hard Cooked Peeled Eggs.
  • ¼ cup sweet relish
  • ¼ cup onion minced; can use yellow or red onion
  • ¼ cup green bell pepper minced; can sub red bell pepper
  • 1 cup mayonnaise try to use the best quality mayo that you can
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard can sub yellow mustard
  • ¼ ts cayenne pepper
  • ¼ ts salt
  • ¼ ts black pepper
  • ¼ ts garlic powder can sub onion powder
  • 1 ea green onion sliced for garnish

Instructions
 

  • Hard boil your eggs and then peel and chop them. You can cut down on this prep step by using a product like Eggland's Best Hard Cooked Peeled Eggs. If you need instructions as to hard boil your eggs, check out this tutorial from Egg Farmers of Cananda on "How To Make The Perfect Hard Boiled Egg."
  • Mince the onion and the green bell pepper. Using a food processor makes this a snap!
  • Prepare the macaroni noodles according to your package directions and drain. Rinse under cold water to cool the macaroni down.
  • In a large bowl combine all ingredients and mix together.
    A white mixing bowl filled with cooked macaroni, chopped up hard boiled egg, mayo, mustard, and sweet relish being stirred with a yellow spoon with a wooden handle and a hand in the picture holding the spoon.
  • Taste and adjust for seasoning by adding additional salt and pepper to your tastes.  Then add sliced green onions as a beautiful garnish and the perfect finishing touch.
    Creamy macaroni salad with chopped hard boiled eggs and green peppers garnished with green onion slices in a white bowl with the stem of a spoon in the background.

Notes

Although this is traditionally a cold salad, you can also serve it at room temperature. It is typically not heated, though.
This great recipe is here for you whenever you need an easy and delicious side dish. It's also the perfect make-ahead side dish, as you can keep it refrigerated for a couple of days and pull it out whenever you are ready for it. Actually, the salad actually may taste better a day or two after (I think so anyway!).
It's also ideal for family reunions, and you'll certainly want to include it at your next picnic.

Nutrition

Calories: 558kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 12gFat: 39gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 21gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 168mgSodium: 586mgPotassium: 198mgFiber: 2gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 456IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 39mgIron: 1mg
Keyword macaroni salad, pasta salad
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About Me

Hi I’m Grace! I'm married and a mom to my fur baby, Toby, and food and travel are two of my greatest passions! Since our bank account does not allow us to travel or eat out as much as we'd like, I decided I would cook delicious meals that could give us a taste of all the places we'd like to go. My goal is to get you in the kitchen, and inspire you to cook and taste delightful meals that will transport you too. Let’s throw some actual travel in from time to time, all with an emphasis on keeping your wallet full and happy as well. Let’s get cooking and let’s start exploring!! I'm excited to be on this journey with you!!

By the way most of these recipes are Toby taste tested and Toby approved!!

Chief Taste Tester Toby

Toby Chief Taste Tester

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