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Macaroni Salad is one of the best-loved side dishes, appearing at picnics, parties, and more. Who can resist tender pasta smothered with a rich mayonnaise-based dressing? Heath’s Macaroni Salad takes it up a notch by adding veggies, hard-boiled eggs, and one of my top-selling AP rubs.
Whether you’re hoping to indulge a nostalgic craving or it’s your first time making macaroni salad from scratch, this recipe will bring you joy. With my easy tutorial, you’ll be the star of every neighborhood BBQ, family reunion, and church potluck.
Heath’s Macaroni Salad | Heath Riles BBQ
One of the best parts about Heath’s Macaroni Salad is its versatility. You can include whatever veggies you have, like peas, carrots, green beans, and broccoli. You could also experiment with meats like shredded pork, ground turkey, and ham. Some prefer adding chunks of cheese or spicy peppers. The choice is yours!
This recipe is ideal for kids and adults, as it strikes the delicate balance between sophisticated and mild. For best results, make Heath’s Macaroni Salad ahead of time and let it chill in the fridge. It tastes better that way! Grab your ingredients and get ready to learn how to make the best bowl of macaroni salad you’ve ever had.
The Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make a delicious batch of Heath’s Macaroni Salad. You may already have some of these ingredients in your pantry! If not, here’s what you need to add to your shopping cart.
- Macaroni. Pasta lovers adore macaroni, a noodle shape with plenty of nostalgia. You can experiment with your noodles and use shells, shapes, or penne pasta.
- Mayonnaise. Every good pasta salad includes mayonnaise as its base. This creamy condiment blends well with any seasoning and clings to the macaroni, creating a seamless salad.
- Dijon mustard. You can’t go wrong with a hint of Dijon! This mustard gives Heath’s Macaroni Salad just the right amount of zest. Feel free to play around with the amount of mustard used if you like walking on the wild side.
- Sugar. This macaroni salad isn’t sweet, but a tiny dash of sugar helps balance the other ingredients. You might say this is the “secret sauce” to great macaroni salad!
- Diced veggies. I prefer a macaroni salad with texture, so I added diced onion, celery, and bell pepper. This also gives the salad a fantastic hint of color, making it pleasing to the eye and stomach.
- Pimentos. Pimentos are tiny, sweet peppers generally associated with cheese. They can also be used as a garnish or as a colorful addition to salads, soups, and other dishes.
- Hard-boiled Eggs. Eggs make any salad heartier, especially when paired with pasta and veggies! Use an egg cutter to slice hard-boiled eggs quickly. You’ll have salad-ready pieces in seconds!
- Heath Riles BBQ Garlic Butter Rub. This delicious AP rub features salt, garlic, pepper, and butter notes. It goes great with salmon, steak, burgers, veggies, salads, and pasta. You’ll want to keep a bottle on hand for all your culinary needs.
The Process for Making Heath’s Macaroni Salad
My short video and recipe card provide a detailed demonstration of this recipe. For now, here’s a quick rundown on how to make Macaroni Salad my way.
- Mix the ingredients. I set the cooked noodles, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, sugar, diced onion, diced celery, diced bell pepper, drained pimentos, hard-boiled eggs, Heath Riles BBQ Garlic Butter Rub, and dill in a large bowl and gently mix until homogeneous.
- Chill and serve. I covered the bowl and set the Macaroni Salad in the fridge to chill for three hours. This helps the flavors marinate and bring out the best in each other! The only thing left was to dig in!
The Results
Heath’s Macaroni Salad has the perfect mix of veggies, eggs, noodles, and a hint of heat. This is Southern-style Macaroni Salad at its best!
Serving Suggestions for Heath’s Macaroni Salad
Every side dish needs a main attraction! Heath’s Macaroni Salad is an excellent accompaniment to any rib, burger, or steak.
Storing Leftovers
You can store leftover Heath’s Macaroni Salad in the fridge for up to five days. I don’t recommend freezing it, as the texture would be too different when thawed. Because this dish contains mayo, please practice proper food safety by keeping it out of the heat.
