Mom's macaroni salad. This, now retro, 1950's era recipe is nothing fancy, nothing special, and, certainly not gourmet. It's simply old-fashioned, pull-a-chair-up-to-the-kitchen-table lip-smacking goodness. There's more, if one keeps this easy--to-make, creamy-crunchy picnic-and-potluck side-dish staple in their refrigerator, it only takes one scoop from the bowl to a plate to turn anything, from a lunchtime sandwich to a dinnertime pork chop, into a delightful meal.
A bowl of no-nonsense, easy-to-make old-fashioned goodness:
3/4 cup high-quality mayonnaise
2 tablespoons ballpark-style yellow mustard
4 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon coarse-grind black pepper
6 ounces diced celery (about 1 3/4 cups)
3 ounces diced yellow or sweet onion (about 3/4 cup)
6 large or extra-large eggs, hard-cooked, peeled and chopped
12 ounces elbow macaroni, cooked and drained as directed below
~Step 1. In a large bowl, use a rubber spatula to stir together the mayonnaise, mustard, relish, celery seed, salt and pepper. Dice the celery and onion, adding them to bowl as you work. Add the chopped, hard-cooked eggs. Fold the veggies and eggs into the mayo mixture. Set aside.
~Step 2. In a 4-quart stockpot, bring 2 1/2-3 quarts of water to a boil over high heat. Add the macaroni, adjust heat to simmer steadily, and cook according to package directions, until macaroni are al dente, about 9-11 minutes -- do not overcook. Drain macaroni into a colander and rinse under cold running water, to halt cooking process and cool to room temperature. Set aside to drain, in colander 2-3 minutes. In the meantime line a large baking pan with parchment paper. Transfer and spread the macaroni across the parchment-lined pan and set aside for 15-20 minutes, to dry, meaning: not to dry out, just to dry of excess moisture.
~ Step 3. Add the "dried" macaroni to the bowl with the vegetables and eggs. Use the spatula to gently fold and thoroughly incorporate the macaroni into the mixture. Cover the bowl and refrigerate until well-chilled, 1-2 hours or overnight.
Macaroni salad turns any meal (anything from a lunchtime sandwich to a dinnertime pork chop), into a meal:
Mom's No-Nonsense Elbow Macaroni and Egg Salad: Recipe yields 2 quarts. 8-12 servings.
Special Equipment List: large rubber spatula; cutting board; chef's knife; 4-quart stockpot; colander; 17 1/2" x 12 1/2" baking pan; parchment paper
Cook's Note: For most of us, potato salad conjures up memories of exactly what our grandmothers made. And, for the most part, those recipes for potato salad do not vary much. Various quantities of the usual suspects: potatoes, eggs, celery and/or onion, with a dressing made of mayonnaise, vinegar, salt, pepper, sometimes pickles or pickle relish and/or a dash of mustard, plus, an occasional fresh herb. Voila: potato salad. While we all have our favorite recipe or recipes, when offered potato salad at a gathering, this is the kind we Americans expect to be served. To hasten up chilling any potato salad, try my spread it on a sheet pan method. Here's another oldie-but-goodie favorite that my mom made often. Try the recipe for ~ Hellmann's Original Eight-Ingredient Potato Salad ~.
"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti
(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2021)
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