Chicken macaroni holiday salad (Printable)

Southern cold pasta with chicken, celery, peppers, and zesty mustard dressing, ideal for gatherings.

# Ingredient List:

→ Pasta

01 - 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni

→ Protein

02 - 2 cans (10 oz each) cooked chicken, drained

→ Vegetables

03 - 1 cup finely diced celery (about 2 stalks)
04 - 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
05 - 1/4 cup finely diced red onion
06 - 1/4 cup sweet pickle relish

→ Dressing

07 - 1/2 cup mayonnaise
08 - 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
09 - 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
10 - 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
11 - 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
12 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

→ Garnish (optional)

13 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
14 - Paprika for sprinkling

# Steps:

01 - Boil elbow macaroni in salted water until just al dente, then drain and rinse with cold water to cool.
02 - In a large bowl, mix cooled macaroni with drained chicken, celery, red bell pepper, red onion, and sweet pickle relish.
03 - Whisk mayonnaise, yellow mustard, apple cider vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper together until smooth.
04 - Pour the dressing over the macaroni mixture and gently toss to coat evenly.
05 - Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to develop flavors.
06 - Before serving, garnish with parsley and sprinkle paprika if desired; serve cold.

# Tips from the Pros:

01 -
  • It tastes better the next day, so you can make it ahead and actually enjoy your party instead of rushing around the kitchen.
  • The sweet relish and mustard combo creates this tangy-creamy thing that's way more interesting than plain mayo pasta salads.
  • It's one of those recipes that uses pantry staples and canned chicken, so you're never more than twenty minutes away from something people will actually finish.
02 -
  • If you skip rinsing the pasta after cooking, the residual starch will make the dressing gummy and weird, I learned this the hard way at a barbecue where I was in a hurry.
  • Always drain the canned chicken really well and press it with a paper towel, excess liquid will water down your dressing and make everything soupy.
  • Taste the salad after it's been in the fridge, cold dulls flavors so you might need to add a pinch more salt or a splash more vinegar before serving.
03 -
  • Use a potato masher to gently break up the canned chicken before adding it, this distributes it more evenly and keeps you from getting huge chunks in one bite.
  • If you're making this in advance, hold back a tablespoon or two of the dressing and stir it in right before serving to bring back the creaminess.
  • Add a pinch of garlic powder or onion powder to the dressing if you want a little more depth without adding fresh garlic that might get sharp in the fridge.
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