Cold Chicken Macaroni Pasta Salad
Chicken Macaroni Pasta Salad is the kind of dish that disappears fast at a BBQ for good reason. It's creamy, full of flavor, and hearty enough to work as a main dish or a side. This recipe stretches for a crowd, is quick to prep and is easy to customize to your own tastes.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces elbow macaroni pasta
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup yellow onion finely chopped
- 1/4 cup celery finely chopped 1/4 cup is about 1 rib
- ½ cup red bell pepper finely chopped
- 1/4 cup pickles chopped
- 2 cups cooked chicken chopped
Instructions
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the elbow macaroni and cook it according to the package instructions, usually 9-10 minutes.8 ounces elbow macaroni pasta
- To a large mixing bowl, add the mayonnaise, mustard, garlic powder, salt, pepper. Stir to combine the sauce.1 cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons yellow mustard, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper
- While cooking the pasta, chop the onion, celery, bell pepper, pickles, and chicken into small bite size pieces.1/2 cup yellow onion, 1/4 cup celery, ½ cup red bell pepper, 1/4 cup pickles, 2 cups cooked chicken
- Pour the cut vegetables and chicken into the mixing bowl with the sauce. Fold the vegetable and meat mixture into the sauce, making sure it is well mixed.
- Once the pasta is done cooking, drain it from the water and run cold water over the top to cool the pasta down. You want the pasta to be cold, or the mayonnaise can curdle or separate.
- Add the pasta to the mixing bowl, stirring well to mix in the chicken and sauce mixture. Place it in the refrigerator and allow to chill for at least 1 hour, though overnight is better as it allows the flavors to mix more. Serve with green onions or fresh parsley and enjoy!
Notes
If you like a little kick, try adding 2-4 dashes of hot sauce to the sauce when you are mixing it.
I like to garnish this pasta salad with chopped green onions of a bit of freshness, but chopped fresh parsley also works too.
Nutrition
Calories: 358kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 591mg | Potassium: 147mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 351IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1mg