Easy Macaroni Salad (Great for Making Ahead!)

(Upbeat music) It's summertime and this weekend I'm in charge of the family barbecue I've got burgers and hot dogs and grilled vegetables and of course some sides on the menu although I really don't want to spend all day in the kitchen so I'm gonna make macaroni salad ahead of time the great thing about this recipe is that the longer the noodles sit and the creamy dressing the better it tastes Most of the ingredients in this recipe are super common and I always have them stocked in my pantry I use elbow noodles you know the kind in your favorite bowl of mac and cheese They're shortcut type of pasta that has a hollow center so it's gonna trap all of that flavorful dressing inside let's go ahead over to the stove (upbeat music) In a large pot bring four quarts of water and one tablespoon of salt to a boil in culinary school other than that you should salt the water so that it tastes like the sea this will give the bland pasta a nice briny flavor Add 1 pound of elbow macaroni and cook for about six to seven minutes or until tender cooking the pasta just past al dente is going to help the dressing cling to the surface of the noodles. Why? because the starches in the pasta is going to be released creating a stickier surface and the pasta becomes like little sponges soaking up a ton of flavor let's test it out (upbeat music) It's ready (upbeat music) Drain and rinse the noodles with cold water for about a minute until cool keep the noodle slightly wet so they don't stick together then transfer it to a large bowl The vegetables in this dish need to be finely minced so that it complements the pasta and doesn't overpower it I like to cut it into small uniform pieces so that you get a nice crunchy texture with each bite In the bowl pasta add 1/3 cup red bell pepper, 1/3 cup celery, 1/3 cup red onion 1/3 cup carrots, 1/3 cup dill pickles, 2 tablespoons dill pickle juice, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons honey, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon parsley, 1 tablespoon chives, 3/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Stir to combine and allow the mixture to sit for about 5 minutes during this time the sponge-like pasta is gonna soak up all that great sweet and tangy flavor from the liquid ingredients instead of just coating them I like to wait to add the sour cream and the mayonnaise last because the fat in those ingredients is going to make it a little bit more difficult for your taste buds to detect all that great vinegar and seasonings stir in 1/3 cup sour cream, and 1 and 1/2 cups of mayonnaise until combined Taste and season with a little more salt and pepper as desired the dressing will thicken as it chills in the refrigerator whew I am so glad that I made this recipe ahead of time time now I can spend a little bit more time with the kiddos relaxing by our small pool that I got on Amazon and the great part is you can make this recipe five days in advance to serve it I like to sprinkle on a little bit more parsley (upbeat music) some chives and black pepper what other recipes and techniques would you like to see feel free to share in the comment section below and I'll see you down there if you enjoy this recipe make sure to check out this one it's a family favorite I hope you enjoyed learning the science behind macaroni salad and if you did be sure to give it a like and subscribe it means a lot when you do thanks for watching and remember cook with confidence you got this see you later

Channel: Jessica Gavin

Views: 124,774

Keywords: recipes, jessica gavin, food, culinary, cooking, cooking tips, cooking techniques, macaroni salad, macaroni salad recipe, macaroni (food), easy macaroni salad, pasta salad, how to make, macaroni recipe, side dishes, macaroni salad with mayonnaise, how to make macaroni salad, simple macaroni salad, summer salad, easy recipes, salad recipes, macaroni salad recipes with mayo, best macaroni salad, classic macaroni salad, creamy macaroni salad, easy macaroni salad recipe

Id: MNN8tlD0_0k

Length: 4min 40sec (280 seconds)

Published: Fri Jul 10 2020