Click here for printer-friendly recipe!
Somewhere along the way, adding mayonnaise to pasta or other starches, such as potatoes and rice, became salad. I’m not sure how or why this happened but I’m fairly certain we can thank our fiftieth United State, Hawaii, for the plate lunch staple, Macaroni Salad. This recipe is based on my Hawaiian plate lunch experiences and I can only hope a hearty serving finds itself on a flimsy paper plate at a picnic or BBQ near you. Happy Fourth of July!
Watch the Pyrotechnic Plate Lunch video!
Ingredients for Macaroni Salad
3 cups cooked macaroni
4 tbsp mayonnaise
4 tbsp sweet relish
4 tbsp diced red bell pepper
2 green onion chopped
dash salt
dash hot sauce (like Tapatio, not Tobasco)
few cracks black pepper
NOTE: I used Salad Macaroni. Elbows work just as well. Adjust the mayonnaise to your desired level of creaminess.
Super Simple Salad!
Boil macaroni according to package directions and rinse with water to cool. Combine macaroni in a bowl with chopped red bell pepper, onion, sweet relish and mayonnaise. Stir together and add a few cracks of black pepper, a sprinkling of salt and a dash or two of hot sauce.
Link to the Teriyaki Sauce recipe.
Link to the Pyrotechnic Plate Lunch video.
Link to Teriyaki Chicken Plate Lunch original recipe post.
Kathy - Panini Happy says
Yes! I love plate lunch! The mac salad is actually my favorite part (guilty pleasure). I’ll be trying your recipe with ribs for the 4th!
Average Betty says
Ahh yes, Kathy! I love the Mac Salad too! As you might guess, I’ve been eating a lot of teriyaki chicken lately – ribs sound perfect for the fourth! Let me know what you think :)
Anthony La Rocca says
Hi Betty
Awesome recipe! Never thought about adding a hint of mayo to it…thanks :)
Ricky says
wow! I really love this macaroni salad! It’s always present in all our important occasions such as birthday and wedding anniversary. Thanks for the guide!
Kurt says
I haven’t had a good ‘Ol fashioned’ Macaroni salad in a long time. This was/is perfect! Love your posts and videos……….you are absolutely, “Not Your Average Betty!!”.