One of my fondest summer time salads growing up in Indiana was my grandma’s Classic Macaroni Salad With Cheese For A Crowd. It’s summer time comfort food, which is great for dinners, picnics or to take to pot lucks.
This is a simple and quick recipe that  is easy to make, chopping your ingredients while giving the noodles about 15 minutes to cook, then assemble in 5 minutes. The peas and celery give it a crisp fresh flavor. The result is a light summery pasta salad that everyone will enjoy.Â
It’s perfect to take to a barbecue, a summer shindig, a lake day, a picnic, or for your family dinners. Best part is it’s economical to make for a large crowd and it’s always a sure hit!
Classic Macaroni Salad With Cheese For A Crowd
Note: Be sure to read through the recipe’s post for tips and details about this recipe.
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Ingredients
- 4 cups elbow macaroni, 1 lb box
- 3 cups celery chopped into small pieces
- 4 tablespoons finely chopped onion
- 8 hardboiled eggs, chopped
- 1/2 cup sweet pickle relish
- 4 teaspoons prepared mustard
- 2 teaspoons Dijon
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 cups frozen peas, uncooked
- 2 cups mayonnaise
Instructions
- Cook macaroni al dente, firm to the bite. Drain and rinse in colander. Allow to drain for a few minutes.
- Combine in a large bowl, celery, onion, relish, eggs, salt and peas
- Gently fold in macaroni
- Add a little more mayonnaise to if you like it creamier.
- Cover and chill for at least on hour
- Serve with cheese on top or stir in
A traditional favorite! I grew up eating this too and always enjoyed it. I see you are a native Hoosier. We lived there for many years and loved it. Thanks for sharing this great old recipe.
My cooking reflects my Hoosier upbringing for sure. For New Years we have both sauerkraut and sausage and blackeyed peas, ham and greens.
We had sauerkraut and sausage on New Year’s where I grew up too.
This was delicious!
Thanks, Jenny. This was an old recipe that was my husband’s aunt’s. They lived in northern Indiana, and it seemed to be a classic for a family picnic.