Description
Meredith’s Creamy Macaroni Salad is a vibrant and flavorful side dish featuring tender macaroni pasta tossed with fresh cucumbers, onions, bell pepper, and celery, all coated in a rich, tangy dressing made from sour cream, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and Parmesan cheese. Perfect for picnics, potlucks, or as a refreshing complement to any meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad
- 1 (16 oz) box macaroni, cooked and drained
- 2 large cucumbers, diced
- 1 small white onion, finely diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
Dressing
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1/3 cup white vinegar
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons dried dill
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the salad ingredients: Cook the macaroni according to the package instructions, drain thoroughly, and allow to cool. Dice the cucumbers, finely dice the white onion, dice the green bell pepper, and chop the celery stalks.
- Combine salad components: In a large mixing bowl, add the cooked and cooled macaroni, diced cucumbers, onion, bell pepper, and chopped celery. Toss gently to mix the vegetables evenly with the pasta.
- Make the dressing: In a separate smaller bowl, combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, white vinegar, grated Parmesan cheese, granulated sugar, dried dill, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes. Whisk the ingredients together until the dressing is smooth and well blended. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Toss the salad with dressing: Spoon the prepared dressing over the macaroni and vegetable mixture. Toss gently but thoroughly until all ingredients are evenly coated with the creamy dressing.
- Chill before serving: For best flavor, cover the macaroni salad and refrigerate it for at least 1 hour before serving to allow the flavors to meld together.
Notes
- For a lighter version, substitute half the mayonnaise with Greek yogurt.
- You can add hard-boiled eggs or diced ham for extra protein.
- If fresh dill is available, replace dried dill with 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill for a brighter flavor.
- Adjust red pepper flakes depending on preferred spice level.
- This salad tastes best when chilled overnight, but at least 1 hour of refrigeration is recommended.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 420 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 26 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
