Grandma's Old Fashioned Macaroni Salad Recipe

Everyone needs this Old Fashioned Macaroni Salad recipe on hand to make for barbecues and potlucks. This is a great, classic macaroni salad recipe. It's the best!

Watch the video showing you how to make this recipe, then scroll to the bottom of this post to print out the complete recipe and make it at home.

Old Fashioned Macaroni Salad

For as long as I can remember, my mother has been making a similar version of this simple, classic macaroni salad recipe. It has always been my favorite. I don't want anything fancy in my macaroni salad, so the simplest version works best for me.

You must begin with the small noodles with the hole in the middle (otherwise known as ditalini). I suppose you could use small elbows too, but I personally love the little guys.

I toss my macaroni salad with a mixture of mayo, mustard and onion powder. I mix in a small amount of chopped celery and green onions. Chopped hard-boiled eggs are folded in at the end.

Old Fashioned Macaroni Salad

I could seriously eat loads and loads of this stuff. Since that's not such a good thing, I like to make this salad when we have company coming over. It needs to be devoured so I'm not tempted by a large bowl of leftovers!

What makes this the best macaroni salad?

Have you ever tried the macaroni salads that they sell in the deli section at your grocery store? They're over-slathered with a thick mayonnaise dressing, and the flavor is just not there. It tastes like it is mass-produced because it is! Yuck.

Making this Old Fashioned Macaroni Salad at home is infinitely better. You can control the amount of dressing you add to the salad. It's totally your preference whether you like it heavily dressed or not. And it turns out 100% more delicious than store-bought macaroni salad.

Old Fashioned Macaroni Salad

And just for the record, Mom never would add celery and green onion to her macaroni salad. She doesn't care for anything crunchy. But I chop them up quite small… they just add a little something extra to the recipe. This salad is always a big hit- gobbled up quickly and hardly ever any leftovers (yahoo!)

What can you serve with macaroni salad?

My Old Fashioned Macaroni Salad is perfect to serve at a party or barbecue. It makes an excellent side to to burgers and hot dogs, as well as grilled chicken and steak. Add some sliced watermelon and corn on the cob, and you have a super easy complete meal!

How long can you keep macaroni salad in the fridge?

Macaroni salad will be fine when kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Then it's probably time to throw it out. Be careful when serving at room temperature. It'll be fine at room temperature for a couple of hours unless it is in a very hot environment. Be sure to toss your macaroni cheese if it's been left out at a party for more than 2 hours. It likely won't be safe to keep for leftovers.

Old Fashioned Macaroni Salad

Here are a few more salad recipes that would be great for a party or barbecue:

Fresh Corn, Zucchini and Tomato Salad
Pizza Pasta Salad
Tomato- Quinoa Salad
Triple Berry Salad with Sugared Almonds
Waldorf Salad
All American Potato Salad

Old Fashioned Macaroni Salad

This macaroni salad recipe is such a popular choice for summer barbecues!

Recipe Details

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 10 mins

Total Time: 30 mins

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: macaroni salad, old fashioned macaroni salad

Servings: 10 servings

Calories: 342 kcal

2 cups macaroni (I use ditalini)
1½ cups mayonnaise
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
4 whole green onions, finely chopped (white and green parts)
1½ tablespoons mustard
1 tablespoon onion powder
salt & pepper, to taste
4 large hard-boiled eggs, chopped
paprika, for garnish

Prepare the pasta according to package directions. Rinse under cold water and set aside to drain well.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, celery, green onion, mustard, onion powder, salt and pepper.
Place the drained, cooled pasta in a large bowl. Add the mayonnaise mixture and stir into the pasta until well combined. Gently stir in the chopped egg. Sprinkle with paprika, cover with plastic wrap, and chill for at least a couple of hours before serving.

Serving: 1 serving , Calories: 342 kcal , Carbohydrates: 17 g , Protein: 5 g , Fat: 27 g , Saturated Fat: 4 g , Cholesterol: 88 mg , Sodium: 271 mg , Potassium: 106 mg , Sugar: 1 g , Vitamin A: 160 IU , Vitamin C: 0.4 mg , Calcium: 24 mg , Iron: 0.6 mg