From My Recipe Box to Yours: Macaroni Salad

Ah, the typical Independence Day picnic food. I'm assuming most of you don't want to spend hours making this, because you'd rather be having fun and have so much other stuff to get ready. You could buy macaroni salad from the store, but you can't take credit for making it, and if you're like me, you actually can't stand deli macaroni salad! Do I have the recipe for you! It's fast, super easy, super cheap, and you probably already have all the ingredients in your pantry. Double yay! And it's the ultimate lazy cook's recipe: it's easy to adjust and you don't have to measure anything! I bet once you try this recipe that I grew up on, you will never turn back.

Ingredients:

-Small noodles, like macaroni

-Mayo (or your favorite substitute)

-Pickles (dill), diced

-Olives, sliced

-Cheese, diced (I use Colby Jack, but you can use whichever type you want)

Directions:

Boil the noodles until done. Strain the water and wait until they are cool before you add the other ingredients. Once cool, mix in the mayo until your desired consistency. (When using an entire box of noodles, I used two heaping spoonfuls of mayo.) Mix in the other three ingredients until you have your desired ratio. (If you want less cheese and more pickles, do it! Nothing's set in stone with this recipe!) Refrigerate until ready to eat.

Cook's Notes:

-My mom also adds celery to the salad to add an extra crunch. I don't add it because I don't like celery and I just put extra pickles in it. Crunch away!

-If you're worried about the fat content from the mayo, try substituting some of the mayo with mustard. I haven't tried this, but I bet it would add just a little kick. A little bit of ground pepper would also probably go a long way.

-You are not limited to just olives, pickles, and cheese! Try mix and matching cheese, or adding some red peppers for a bit of color. You could also swap out the pickles for the celery, and then add basil and tomatoes and you've got an Italian style macaroni salad!

-If you're really crunched for time, buy pre-sliced olives. If you have a few extra minutes, just buy whole and slice them yourself (plus it's a little bit cheaper!). You can dice the olives as large as you want that way!

-This salad holds up really well in the fridge, so feel free to make it the night before or in the morning before your dinner. My family has eaten this for several days after the picnic and it still tastes just as good as it did before!

Happy Eating!