Receta Easy Macaroni Salad
When I moved to Georgia, I learned about Southerners love of Blue Plate® Mayonnaise. So when I was asked to try out Blue Plate® Light Mayonnaise with Greek Yogurt, I was thrilled as it gave me a chance to try it and come up with an Easy Macaroni Salad recipe for our upcoming fish fry party.
Easy macaroni salad recipe inspiration
Being the only mayo with Greek yogurt (and 1 gram of protein per serving), Blue Plate® Light Greek has half the fat of regular mayo. However, you won’t miss that fat, since Blue Plate Light Greek has a wonderful tart, almost lemony flavor. It’s nice and thick, too, so ideal for my Easy Pasta Salad recipe.
But how to make a classic macaroni salad recipe different enough for my fish fry party? First, I decided to add some tiny shrimp to my Easy Macaroni Salad recipe since I knew the tangy taste of Blue Plate Light Greek would compliment seafood. Then I added a classic seafood seasoning blend, which is basically celery seed, salt, red pepper, black pepper and paprika. (No need to get five bottles out of the cupboard when you can get one tin down!)
For a bit of crunch to this recipe easy macaroni salad , I added minced onions, and chopped celery and orange bell peppers. I love the contrast of the fresh vegetables with the tangy Blue Plate Light Greek.
Finally, I had to add three important ingredients to make this Easy Macaroni Salad recipe a success. First, there had to be fresh dill to compliment the shrimp and seafood seasonings. It smells great, too!
Second is a secret my husband shared with me when he makes tuna melts – sweet relish. Adding sweet relish to easy macaroni salad recipes is especially nice with the Blue Plate Light Greek since it offsets the tartness of the mayo. Not too sweet, not too tart – it’s just right.
Third, al dente macaroni. No mushy macaroni, please!
This Mama’s tips for making perfect Easy Macaroni Salad
Don’t forget to salt your pasta water. It makes the noodles taste better. Seriously.
Start testing your macaroni noodles three minutes before the directions on the box say the noodles will be done. Then when you think the macaroni noodles are cooked al dented (firm), quickly drain the noodles in a colander. Then run cold water over the macaroni in the colander so you immediately stop the cooking process.
You can make gluten free, whole wheat, or regular pasta for this Easy Macaroni Salad recipe. For fun, use usually shaped noodles. I like little shell shaped ones, which are very fun to use with shrimp or crab for a nautically themed Easy Macaroni Salad recipe.
I find canned tiny shrimp easy and economical to use since you can always keep a few cans in the pantry for simple pasta salads, omelets, quiche, or other recipes. Fresh bay shrimp, canned crab, or fresh crab can also be used, of course. I also like imitation crab or lobster as both are very tasty and there are several gluten free brands available now. You can keep imitation crab or lobster in the freezer.
You can use orange, red or yellow bell peppers. I find that green peppers are kind of bitter, don’t you?
Some folks like to put peas in their macaroni salad recipes. If you like peas, use defrosted frozen peas not canned peas, which can be mushy and flavorless.
If there’s someone in your family who says they hate dill, just chop it up very fine so they don’t see it.
Leftover dill can be used as a garnish or in other recipes like quiche, chicken soup, and omelets. Or chop it up and use it in your salad!
If you like lots of mayo in your pasta salad, feel free to add more Blue Plate® Light Mayonnaise with Greek Yogurt. Other people like their Easy Macaroni Salad with less mayo. Totally up to you!
Ingredients
- 1 box elbow macaroni (to make at least 6 cups cooked macaroni)
- 2 cups Blue Plate® Light Mayonnaise with Greek Yogurt
- 1/4 cup sweet relish
- 1 tablespoon classic seafood seasoning blend
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons minced onion
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill
- 2 (4 ounce) cans baby shrimp, drained
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1/2 cup diced bell pepper (orange, red or yellow)
Directions
Cook macaroni as directed until al dente. Drain and rinse in cold water to stop cooking process. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine mayonnaise, relish, seafood seasoning blend, lemon juice, minced onion and dill. Stir until combined.
Add baby shrimp, celery, and bell pepper. Gently stir until combined.
Gently fold in 6 cups cooked macaroni until macaroni is combined with other ingredients. Cover and chill for 4 hours.
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 10 Minutes
Total Time: 20 Minutes
Servings: 8 cups
Serving size: 8 (1 cup) servings
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Blue Plate® Mayonnaise.