Patty Kuchenski Recipe Collection
Macaroni Salad "Best" - NO MAYO!

2 1/4 cups uncooked "salad" macaroni (elbow macaroni ok)

4 hard cooked eggs, diced
1/2 cup diced onion or green onion (I used red)
2-3 diced celery stalks
2 Tbsp dill pickle relish
1/2 can black olives - I chopped

2 cups salad dressing - not mayonnaise. I used Briannas "new" Champagne Caper Vinagrette Dressing.
3 Tbsp yellow mustard
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)
1 tsp celery salt

Dash paprika for sprinkle on top

Add macaroni to pot of boiling water. Cook the macaroni according to package directions, or til tender.
Drain and let cool. Don't rinse, add a little olive oil to prevent sticking.

While macaroni is cooking, mix the next 5 ingredients in large bowl- eggs, onion, celery, relish.

Mix in another bowl the salad dressing, mustard, sugar, vinegar, celery salt. Mix contents of 2 bowls together. Add macaroni and stir gently until well blended. Looks too juicy but believe me it absorbs completely.

Cover the macaroni salad and refrigerate overnight to marry the flavors and so that the macaroni will absorb the dressing. Sprinkle paprika on top of the macaroni salad just before serving.

Makes 8 servings.

I was looking on the internet yesterday for a macaroni salad with no mayonnaise for the 4th of July. I took my chances in making this one with the champagne vinagrette. Any dressing will do and in the comments on the online recipe, people did use ranch dressing.

Anyway, I just got home from work and tried it. I was so surprised it was great as I took my chances on the internet. Love to search for "world's best" and "favorite" on my searches. I liked it so much I had to share it with family and friends before I had any more. The consistency is perfect and it tastes even better than the homemade macaroni salad you remember from growing up. I wouldn't change anything except may try a few different salad dressings. Probably the one Shelly uses for pasta salad would be great. I think that is the one with the artichoke on the dressing picture.
6-29-09 Patty

Recipe Contributed by Patty Kuchenski