Easy Small Batch Macaroni Salad

Do you ever crave pasta salad but don’t want to make a whole bunch of servings? Well, you’ll be happy to know that this Easy Small Batch Macaroni Salad can easily satisfy that craving. This is also the perfect dish for a smaller summertime gathering! Amid a pandemic, it’s best to keep gatherings small. So, be sure to make this recipe for your next small gathering! 

You’ll be delighted to know that making this recipe is so quick and easy! If you’ve never made macaroni salad before, then don’t hesitate to try this recipe first. It doesn’t disappoint. This Easy Small Batch Macaroni Salad has just the right amount of substance to satisfy your needs. 

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Easy Small Batch Macaroni Salad

Recipe by Recipe Helper

Course: Main, SidesCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

10

minutes

Chill Time

1

hour

Ingredients

• For the pasta:

• 2 cups 2 Macaroni noodles

• 1 1 rib celery, diced

• 3 3 Green onion, sliced

• 1 1 Roma tomato, sliced

• For the dressing:

• ¼ cup mayonnaise

• ¼ cup sour cream

• ½ teaspoon celery seed

• 2 tablespoons 2 pickle juice

• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

• Cook macaroni noodles in salted boiling water according to package instructions and until al dente (see notes).
• Drain and transfer for to a bowl to cool for about 15 minutes.
• Once cooled, add celery, green onion and Roma tomato.
• For the dressing:
• To the bowl of macaroni and vegetables, mix in mayonnaise, sour cream, celery seed, pickle juice, salt and pepper to taste.
• Taste to make sure it is to your liking.
• Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving and enjoying.

Notes

• Making this recipe a day before your gathering yields optimal flavor. 
• This pasta salad can last for up to 2 days in the refrigerator.
• Al dente means cooked to remain firm when bitten. 

This recipe came to be by simply using what I had on hand. And, I’m excited to share with you just how I did it. To make this, you will need 2 cups of macaroni noodles, 1 rib of celery, green onion, a Roma tomato, mayo, sour cream, celery seed, pickle juice, salt, and pepper. That’s it! Only a handful of ingredients are needed to make it taste good! If you like green or red bell pepper, then dice that up and use some of that as well. Since I used just what I had on hand, I didn’t use bell pepper. I definitely would have loved to incorporate some. 

A tip to make this macaroni salad easy to eat is to chop up your ingredients similar to the size of the macaroni. That way, you can enjoy a little bit of each ingredient on your fork. Clever, right? It wouldn’t be fun to have giant chunks of tomatoes and celery. That would be too much to chew and way too much work. 

Once you mix everything, you’ll want to chill it for at least one hour. This gives the dressing mixture ample time to set. This dish can last in the refrigerator for up to two days. 

If you decide to make this pasta salad a day before your gathering, be advised that the pasta soaks up some of the dressing overnight. If you find the next day that you need a bit more dressing, then you can certainly whip up some. I allowed my pasta salad to chill in the refrigerator overnight and found it was perfect the next day. It was still creamy and delicious! 

So, that’s all for today folks. Enjoy your Easy Small Batch Macaroni Salad! Hopefully, those who you choose to serve it to enjoy it and ask for the recipe. If they do, then send them to this blog! Happy Cooking!