Quick Macaroni Salad

 

With it being the Labor Day weekend, I wanted to make a couple of salads to go along with my Turkey Burger. If I had an outdoor grill, I might have been tempted to make a beef burger, but I don't so a turkey burger it was.

I confess I am not totally in love with Beef Burgers, but I do like to have them when they are done on a proper grill or in restaurants.  I think this goes back to my mother's burgers. I always hated it when my mother cooked burger patties for our supper.

My mom was a good cook, but when it came to ground beef her thrift made her buy the cheapest, fattiest ground beef. It was always loaded with nasty stuff. Well, nasty to me anyways.  If there was a bone or a piece of gristle in it, it always seemed to end up in my burger. As soon as it touched my teeth the gag reflex kicked in. 'Nuff said. Lets just say, I was not a fan.

 

Not very appealing I know.  And they were not very appealing, trust me.  Anyways, I prefer Turkey burgers.  I found this small batch macaroni salad recipe in a Taste of Home Cookbook I have entitled Cooking For Two. I bought my copy on Amazon.  Its a nice book filled with lots of yummies.  I do like the Taste of Home books.

In any case, I found this delicious looking macaroni salad in it, perfectly sized for two people, or one with leftovers. I don't mind leftovers of macaroni salad. I can always enjoy it again for lunch tomorrow.

I do wish you all a very lovely Labor Day Holiday!  Stay safe and enjoy your day, whatever you get up to. I hope you get to eat some tasty food and enjoy some good company!

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE QUICK MACARONI SALAD

Just a few simple, store-cupboard and simple fresh ingredients. There is nothing complicated here.

• 3/4 cup (87g) elbow macaroni, uncooked
• 1/3 cup (50g) frozen peas
• 1/3 cup (40g) cubed cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup (55g) good quality full fat mayonnaise
• 3 TBS chopped celery
• 1 TBS finely chopped onion
• 1 TBS finely chopped green pepper
• 1 TBS diced pimento
• salt and black pepper to taste

 

I used the Catelli Smart Macaroni, which is a white pasta that has added fiber. As a diabetic this is a smart choice for me to make. You can use plain macaroni if you wish. 

If you are in the U.K. and cannot get elbow macaroni, you can use the straight macaroni.  How I miss that stuff. I have looked for it everywhere and just cannot find it here.

 

I used Balderson strong/sharp cheddar cheese. It has a lovely flavor and texture.  It happened to be dyed orange, but you can use a white cheddar if you prefer.

Pimento are small red cherry peppers.  They are often found diced and pickled here in North America. They are the red bit in the stuffed olive as well, and do have a lovely flavor.  If you are in the U.K. and cannot get them, you could use diced roasted red peppers. Or you could use raw red pepper. You could also leave them out altogether.

I used white onion this time, but red onions or spring onions would also go very well and add a nice touch of color.

I used Green Giant frozen baby peas.  I like baby peas most of all.

 

HOW TO MAKE QUICK MACARONI SALAD

This is a very simple make and it really is very quick throw together. You can prep all of your vegetables while the macaroni is cooking!

Cook your macaroni according to the package directions, adding the peas during the last 2 minutes of cook time.

Drain well and then rinse under cold running water. Drain well again.

 

Measure all of the remaining ingredients into a bowl. Combine well and season to taste with salt and black pepper.

Stir in the macaroni and peas.  Cover and chill until ready to serve.

I just love my Bumble Bee Tea Towel which was a Birthday gift from my good friend Elaine.  She knows I adore anything with Bees on it.  I am so blessed to have good friends who know me well!

 

This was a delicious pasta salad that went well with my Turkey burger for my Labor Day celebrations. It had plenty of color, flavor and crunch.  I am sure you could adapt it as well by adding a few more veggies if you wished, and or maybe some herbs.

But as written, it was quite tasty and I would make it again!  I used white onions this time but will use red onions the next time! If you are looking for a smaller sized macaroni salad to serve,  I highly recommend this recipe!!

 

Here are a few more small batch salads that you might also enjoy. Sometimes, even if you are a larger family, a variety of these small batch recipes, means that everyone gets to enjoy a simple TBS or two of a larger variety of salads!

CHICKEN PARMESAN PASTA SALAD - Imagine a tasty bowl of perfectly cooked al dente pasta tossed together with crisp garden-fresh vegetables, tender chunks of chicken breast, all brought together with a rich and creamy peppercorn ranch dressing! That is what you get with this delicious salad.  Simple to make and oh so tasty!

CLASSIC POTATO SALAD (SMALL BATCH) - This smaller size of the classic potato salad always goes down a real treat here. It lacks none of the flavors or textures of its larger batched counterpart. Tender chunks of potato, rich egg, crunchy celery and bits of spring onion, folded together with a rich and creamy dressing that everyone loves.

Yield: 2 servings

Author: Marie Rayner

Quick Macaroni Salad

Prep time: 15 MinTotal time: 15 Min

You can't go wrong with this delicious tried and true small batch recipe for a delicious, quick and easy macaroni salad!

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup (87g) elbow macaroni, uncooked
• 1/3 cup (50g) frozen peas
• 1/3 cup (40g) cubed cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup (55g) good quality full fat mayonnaise
• 3 TBS chopped celery
• 1 TBS finely chopped onion
• 1 TBS finely chopped green pepper
• 1 TBS diced pimento
• salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Cook your macaroni according to the package directions, adding the peas during the last 2 minutes of cook time.
2. Drain well and then rinse under cold running water. Drain well again.
3. Measure all of the remaining ingredients into a bowl. Combine well and season to taste with salt and black pepper.
4. Stir in the macaroni and peas.
5. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

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