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posted by Crissy Pageon Jun 26, 2017 (updated Jan 19, 2024) 8 comments »
Our creamy and sweet macaroni salad recipe is the perfect side dish for family gatherings!
When I think of summer cookouts and family gatherings I can’t help but think about digging my fork into a big, creamy mound of macaroni salad. This simple macaroni salad recipe is truly magical. It’s a recipe that my mom’s been making for years and years, and I can remember sneaking to the refrigerator when I was a kid to have a big bite of this amazing macaroni salad before it was set out for guests.
In other words, this sweet macaroni salad (it’s also nice and tangy!) is SO, SO GOOD—you definitely have to give it a shot this summer. I’m sure it will become your new favorite macaroni salad recipe!
Amazing Sweet Macaroni Salad Recipe
When it comes to macaroni salad recipes, you can find a pretty wide variety on Pinterest.
People are putting all kinds of crazy ingredients into their macaroni salad recipes.
Creating unique dishes is always fun, but, sometimes you just want a tried-and-true recipe. This classic macaroni salad doesn’t have any fancy ingredients, but it tastes absolutely incredible every single time you make it.
Without fail, it’s just simply delicious.
DON’T MISS IT: Check out my classic potato salad recipe and this crazy-good loaded potato salad.
Of course, I guess you could say that addition of cheese to this sweet macaroni salad makes it a little unique. My mom didn’t always use cheese in the recipe, but we’ve found over the years that it adds some great texture and flavor.
I’m always in favor of adding a little cheese to my favorite dishes! In fact another fantastic summer favorite is my broccoli salad recipe with cheddar cheese. It’s another crowd favorite that you should check out while you’re here.
One great thing about this amazing sweet macaroni salad recipe is that it just gets better with time. You can whip it up, refrigerate and serve in about two hours, but it’s also super tasty the next day. It’s a great recipe to make ahead when you’re heading to a gathering or event.
If you’re looking for a pasta salad with a unique twist, be sure to try my dill pickle pasta salad recipe.
If I’m being honest, I’m kind of obsessed with this sweet macaroni salad recipe. The flavor is so tasty that it’s hard to put down the fork once you dig in. I’m so happy to share this family favorite recipe with you and I hope you love it as much as my crew does!
Additional Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
This sweet, creamy and delicious macaroni salad will be a hit at your next carry-in or BBQ!
Ingredients
- 1 box (16 oz.) elbow macaroni
- ¼ cup carrot, grated
- 2 cups real mayonnaise
- 1 (14oz) can sweetened condensed milk
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup white vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, cubed small
Instructions
- Boil pasta in salted water to al dente or desired tenderness according to the directions on the package. Drain and rinse with cool water then set aside.
- In a large bowl mix the remaining ingredients until well blended. Add the pasta and stir until pasta is well coated. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours before serving.
Salads Sides
originally published on Jun 26, 2017 (last updated Jan 19, 2024)
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8 comments on “Macaroni Salad”
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Fk — Reply
This is a staple in my home country except we add raisins, fruit co*cktails and diced pineapple. Yum Yum!
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Triss — Reply
Omg I love this recipe because I don’t like onions and this suit me very well!! Thank you very much for sharing this!
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Alicia — Reply
I made this dish and I was alittle uncertain at first. The end result however, was delicious. Thank you for sharing this recipe it is here to stay in my house.
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Nickki — Reply
Hey Crissy, this recipe was awesome, I was skeptical about adding the cheese but it turned out great, used apple cider vinegar because I ran out of the regular but it still tasted awesome.
Rating: 5
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Sandy Petzel — Reply
Yes, eggs belong in potato salad! And so does celery, onion & sweet pickles.
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kim — Reply
I would your husband well of course eggs belong in potato salad. It’s like saying you can’t have beer without chix wings the side. lol
Now for pasta that is a no no for me as I am not a pasta person give me potato salad any day of the week. I have been enjoying your site. as I am a retired cook and always looking for new recipes so that I can change it around as I am a diabetic. this is the time I have left a comment in any of the sites I have coming in by email. so keep on cooking looking forward to see your email will be. Take care
I gave it a one but that is just me.
Kim-
Crissy — Reply
Hi Kim, thank you so much for taking a moment to leave a comment on my blog. They mean so much to me! :)
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Teri Giese — Reply
Hi Chrissy!So happy to see that someone else likes the “sweet”,type of macaroni salad!First tried a similar recipe a few months ago.Was SO curious,due to the sweetened condensed milk.You all MUST know,the combination of ingredients DOES produce a creamy,tangy,lovely macaroni salad.Does NOT get runny,nor does it dry out.The beauty is,one can use more or less sugar,same with vinegar,and any add ins,Was wondering if the cheese stayed firm?Have put cheese squares in other pasta salads and they get a gross,soft texture within a day.Anyway,this salad stayed perfect,(but I had no cheese in i),for a good 5 days.One of those salads you either like or not.The dressing is sort of like coleslaw dressing,I think.Thanks??
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