Hello all! Barbecue season is finally upon us and I am pumped! Every year when the sun starts to shine her beautiful rays, it's time to cook outside. Growing up in Texas, we barbecued a lot, so I have some great side dish recipes. My favorite growing up though was always Macaroni Salad. Seriously, I liked it so much I even had a special voice reserved to say "Macaroni Salad!" every time I knew my mom was making it. This recipe is great for summer get togethers, because it makes so much food you could easily feed up to 15 people.
You will start by cooking your noodles. Macaroni is my favorite, but honestly you can use any small noodle. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add in a 16 oz box of pasta. Boil until pasta is tender, this takes 9-12 minutes. Strain the pasta and run under cold water. I know, you're not supposed to rinse pasta...but this is always how it was done growing up, so I have kept with tradition. Rinsing with cold water, brings the temperature down quickly and will also keep your noodles from sticking together. I always place them back in the large pot and use this to mix everything, then transfer to a pretty bowl when I am ready to serve.
While your pasta is cooking, you can also start your hard boiled eggs. Add 4 eggs to a large sauce pan with cold water and 1 tablespoon of baking soda. This will help you peel your eggs later. Once your water starts to boil, cover and continue to boil for 3-5 minutes then turn off the heat. Leave eggs on the burner and let stand for 10-12 minutes. Now, you will run your eggs under cold water so they can be handled without you burning yourself. Roll the eggs lightly on the counter to crack the shell, and start peeling under cold water to ensure all the shell comes off. Roughly cut the eggs into 1/2 inch pieces and place in pan with the noodles.
Now get to chopping! Dice one small to medium onion (this all depends on how much you like onion) and one green bell pepper. Add this to the noodle and egg mixture. Add one 7 oz can of tuna fish and mayo. The mayo is the only thing I have changed from the original recipe. My family always used Miracle Whip, I just use original mayo. The amount of mayo you use will change each time you make this, I don't usually measure. I just add enough to coat everything evenly. This takes about 1 - 2 cups of mayonnaise. The last thing to do is add salt and pepper to taste and mix everything until all your ingredients are evenly coated in mayo. Personally I like lots of pepper, but I make it mild for everyone else and just add more salt and pepper once it's on my plate.
This recipe is very versatile. If you don't like eggs, don't add eggs. If you don't like tuna, don't put it in. If you want to add green peas, do it. Either way, you will end up with a delicious side dish, that will pair well with whatever you have decided to grill up.
Ingredients
- 16 oz box of Macaroni Noodles
- 4 Lg Eggs, hard boiled
- 1 sm/med yellow onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1 - 7 oz can tuna fish, drained
- 1 - 2 cups Mayo or Miracle Whip
- salt and pepper to taste
Hope you all enjoy this! Thanks for cooking with me!
Ashley Tuttle
