Southern Macaroni Salad

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Southern macaroni salad is a vibrant combination of colors and textures with a sweet and tangy dressing to hold it all together. This is one of those beautifully tasty pasta recipes that makes people love macaroni salad, and it comes together in just 30 minutes.

This salad isn’t one of those dainty pasta salad recipes. It’s a hearty combination of elbow macaroni and crisp summer vegetables, all coated in a distinctively sweet and tangy Southern-style dressing with an irresistibly fresh flavor.

If you’re a fan of macaroni salads, be sure to try my Classic Macaroni Salad, Hawaiian Macaroni Salad, or Macaroni Salad with Egg.

For even more variations, don’t miss my Macaroni Salad Recipes collection, where I share all the best versions for every occasion. And if you’re looking for even more easy sides beyond macaroni salad, be sure to browse my full Pasta Salad Recipes collection, including Italian, Mediterranean, and more fresh favorites.

Let’s make this!

What I Love About Southern Macaroni Salad

There are just so many things to love about this southern macaroni salad, I could go on and on. I love the slightly sweet nuances in the cold creamy dressing and the invitingly beautiful presentation of the dish itself. The fact that it only takes 10 minutes to put together is another big plus in my book. Here are even more great reasons to love this dish.

• Totally flexible recipe
• Robust flavor
• Beautiful presentation
• Comes together quickly
• Wholesome and nutritious
• Multiple uses

Southern Macaroni Salad Ingredients

• Macaroni – I prefer to use the elbow macaroni in this recipe and take a stroll down memory lane, but others will work, too. Mini farfalle, affectionately referred to as bowtie pasta, will work just as well or you can even use the small conchiglie pasta (shells).
• Salt + Pepper: Use simple table salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
• Mayonnaise: Use either Duke’s or Best Foods, depending on where you live in the country.
• Condensed Milk: This recipe is super creamy because it calls for sweetened condensed milk instead of sugar. Sugar works, as we all know, but it can remain gritty sometimes and its hard to get the measurement just right. With the sweetened condensed milk, you don’t have to worry about that. Plus, it helps bind all the other ingredients together for a thick dreamy dressing that coats all the different playful textures.
• Apple Cider Vinegar: Adds the right touch of gentle acidity.
• Paprika – don’t skip the paprika as some people do. It combines with the apple cider vinegar to infuse a bit of a smoky tangy undertone that really takes the dressing to the next level.
• Dry Mustard: I use Coleman’s.
• Onion: Yellow onion is my favorite for this salad.
• Bell Pepper: You can use any color you’d like. I love red bell pepper in this salad.
• Celery: I love the crunch and flavor celery brings to the salad. I like it minced very finely.

Easy Macaroni Salad Recipe Notes

Making this easy macaroni salad is so simple if you know the little tricks to pull it together!

• Pasta: One cardinal rule for making great pasta salad involves draining and rinsing your pasta after it cooks. Normally you should avoid rinsing pasta for many recipes but when making pasta salad you want to stop your pasta from cooking completely.
• Seasoning: Speaking of which, you should season your pasta salad rather aggressively. Foods that are served cold, such as an easy pasta salad, requires more seasoning to taste because chilling kind of dulls the natural flavors.
• Resting: Lastly, it is important to let your southern macaroni salad rest in the fridge before serving and/or eating. Resting time can vary with recipes and I know it can be hard to walk away but I find this one tastes best if it rests overnight.
• Cooking Tips: Cooking the noodles takes a little time but not much, usually 7-9 minutes. You want to keep your pasta al dente so it doesn’t get soggy and ruin your southern macaroni salad.
  • Regardless of what you’ve heard before, you must salt your pasta water for maximum flavor. I find that 2 tablespoons per 4-6 quarts of water is typically ideal. Contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t have anything to do with raising the boiling point.
  • Pasta absorbs the water as it cooks. So, if you salt the water appropriately it will absorb the salt too, essentially seasoning the pasta from the inside out. That is really the key to making incredible tasting pasta!

Storing + Freezing + Make-Ahead

• Old Fashioned Macaroni Salad Recipe Storing Tips: Of course, you’ll need to store your southern macaroni salad in an airtight container in the fridge. If that big huge bowl takes up too much space and your fridge is already packed, you can store your macaroni salad in two 1-gallon Ziploc bags. That will save some room and still allow all the yummy flavors to mingle.
  • If you are preparing for the week and you know you’ll be taking southern macaroni salad for lunch a few times, then go ahead and store it in some single serve portion containers. It just makes things easier for you to grab and go.
• Can You Freeze This? Sorry! Unfortunately, you just can’t freeze this one. Since it only takes 10 minutes to throw together, there really is no need.
  • If you are prepping and looking to save some time, go ahead and pre-make the dressing and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. I find a mason jar works great for this.
  • You can also chop the veggies and do the same with them. When you are ready to make your southern macaroni salad, simply boil your elbow pasta and combine everything. Voila!
• How Long Can You Keep This? Well, if you store it properly it will stay fresh for 3-5 days in the fridge. It should be kept at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit and you should observe the recommended window (less than 2 hours) for serving at potlucks and get togethers.

Classic Macaroni Salad Recipe Variations

Tweaking this macaroni salad to suit your personal taste and dietary restrictions is just a given! Of course, the original recipe is pretty bang up just like it is so you may want to give it a try before you change it.

• Add more herbs: You can add some nice flavor and dress up your southern macaroni salad before serving it by using some fresh herbs. You only want to do this right before you serve it, though.
  • Fresh herbs are delicate, and they do their best work immediately after they are chopped. I love adding cilantro, dill or basil depending on my mood and the occasion.
• Add protein: Adding protein is one way to dress up your southern macaroni salad. Cubed ham is really good for this and the slightly salty flavor is great with the sweet smoky nuances in the dressing! Half a can of black beans is great too and they add some beautiful color to your salad.
• Add cheese: Cheese is another great option because everything is better with cheese! I find that cubed cheese works best with this recipe. Cheddar, Colby and Monterey jack are all great options.
• Olives: For a really feisty twist, you can even add some olives or capers to your southern macaroni salad. I would be conservative though.

More Pasta Salad Recipes

• Tuna Macaroni Salad
• Chicken Macaroni Salad
• Antipasto Salad
• Chicken Pasta Salad
• Greek Pasta Salad
• Italian Pasta Salad
• Pesto Pasta Salad
• Pasta Salad with Italian Dressing
• California Spaghetti Salad
• Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
• Shrimp Pasta Salad
• Tuna Pasta Salad

Tried This Recipe?

Leave a review, I love hearing your feedback! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Save Recipe!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Southern Macaroni Salad

Southern macaroni salad is a vibrant combination of elbow macaroni and crisp veggies bound together by a distinctive slightly sweet southern dressing

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time30 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servingss

Author: Kathleen

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 pound uncooked elbow macaroni
• ▢ salt
• ▢ black pepper
• ▢ 2 cups mayonnaise
• ▢ 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• ▢ 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• ▢ 1 tablespoon paprika
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• ▢ 1 large red onion chopped
• ▢ 1 green bell pepper chopped
• ▢ 1 red bell pepper chopped
• ▢ 1 cup celery chopped

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add macaroni (1 pound) and cook until al dente, about 9 minutes. Rinse under cold water to stop cooking then drain well.
• In a medium bowl make a dressing by whisking together mayonnaise (2 cups), condensed milk (1 can), vinegar (1/2 cup), paprika (1 tablespoon), mustard (1 teaspoon), salt, and black pepper until smooth.
• In a large bowl add the cooked pasta, onion, green and red bell peppers, celery (1 cup), and whisked dressing.  Fold gently until well combined.  Refrigerate overnight and serve.

Fans Also Made:

• 
  Authentic Hawaiian Macaroni Salad Recipe
• 
  Macaroni Salad With Egg
• 
  Macaroni Salad with Cheese

RATE THIS RECIPE

Save Recipe!

Nutrition

Serving: 1/6 of the recipe | Calories: 1104kcal | Carbohydrates: 110g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 64g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 504mg | Potassium: 371mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 54g | Vitamin A: 1395IU | Vitamin C: 43.1mg | Calcium: 257mg | Iron: 1.7mg

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? I'D LOVE TO SEE!Tag @GonnaWantSeconds or #gonnawantseconds on Instagram!

© Gonna Want Seconds. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media/website/blog is strictly prohibited.

Pin

Share

Email

2K Shares