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Bowl of macaroni salad

Classic Macaroni Salad

This is a traditional old fashioned recipe for classic macaroni salad that includes hard boiled eggs and pimiento stuffed olives! Dried small macaroni shells or rotini can be used in place of the elbow macaroni.

Course Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword best, egg, elbow macaroni, mayonnaise, olives, paprika, pasta, potluck, simple, Spanish olives
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Refrigerate 1 hour
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 14 half-cup
Calories 196 kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 cups dry small elbow macaroni
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/2 cup diced celery
  • 1/3 cup diced red bell pepper
  • 2 large hard boiled eggs, peeled and diced
  • 2/3 cup sweet pickle relish
  • 1/4 cup sliced pimento stuffed olives
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. celery seed, crushed
  • 1/4 tsp. crushed summer savory
  • 1/2 tsp. fresh yellow mustard
  • paprika
  • 14 whole pimento stuffed olives

Instructions

  1. Bring 2 quarts of water to a rolling boil. You can add 1 teaspoon of salt if you like. Gradually add 2 cups dry small elbow macaroni to the boiling water.

  2. Stir gently and return to a rapid boil. Cook uncovered, while stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until tender. Drain and rinse in cold water.

  3. To assemble the macaroni salad, place the cooked macaroni in a large bowl and add the following ingredients: 1 cup mayonnaise, 1/2 cup diced celery, 1/3 cup diced red bell pepper, 2 hard boiled eggs (peeled and diced),  2/3 cup sweet pickle relish, 1/4 cup sliced pimiento stuffed olives, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon crushed celery seed, 1/4 teaspoon crushed summer savory, and 1/2 teaspoon fresh yellow mustard. Gently stir together until well blended.

  4. You should refrigerate the pasta salad until chilled. To serve, sprinkle a little paprika over the macaroni salad and place a whole Spanish olive on top.

Recipe Notes

Sometimes on hot summer days, I will serve chilled Pickled Beets with this macaroni salad.