Cheesy Macaroni Salad

⏱ 60 mins 🍽 16 serving(s) 🏷 Summer

This creamy macaroni salad combines tender pasta with a tangy horseradish and mayonnaise dressing. Sautéed red and green peppers with sweet onion add a crisp texture, while hard-boiled eggs and shredded cheddar cheese provide richness. Finished with a sprinkle of paprika, it's an ideal make-ahead dish for warm-weather gatherings. The recipe yields enough for a crowd, serving 16 people.

Cheesy Macaroni Salad

Ingredients

  • 2 cups macaroni
  • 1 cup light mayonnaise
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons horseradish
  • 1 (1 ounce) package cheese sauce mix (stolen from a mac and cheese package)
  • 1 medium red pepper, diced
  • 1 medium green pepper, diced
  • 1 medium sweet onion, diced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 hard-cooked eggs
  • 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
  • salt
  • pepper
  • paprika

Method

  1. Prepare the macaroni by following the packet instructions. Once drained, do not rinse it. Mix the powdered cheese sauce into the hot pasta, then allow it to cool completely.
  2. Warm the olive oil in a frying pan. Cook the diced red pepper, green pepper and sweet onion until they are tender but still have some bite, which should take about ten minutes. Set the vegetables aside to cool.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine the light mayonnaise with the horseradish until smooth.
  4. Transfer the cooled vegetables into the bowl with the macaroni. Pour the mayonnaise mixture over everything and stir to coat. Dice three of the hard-cooked eggs and fold them into the salad along with the shredded cheddar cheese.
  5. Slice the remaining hard-cooked egg for decoration on top. Dust the finished salad with paprika and season with salt and pepper according to your preference.

Nutrition (per serving)

Sodium162700 mg

Recipe details

CategorySummer
AuthorElizabeita