This fast and easy pasta salad recipe with tender elbow macaroni, bell peppers, carrots, celery, ham, and a super creamy dressing is a family FAVORITE! You can make it up to a day in advance if desired.
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Cook Time10 minutesmins
Chill Time1 hourhr30 minutesmins
Total Time1 hourhr55 minutesmins
Course: Sides, Salads & Vegetables
Cuisine: American
Keyword: classic macaroni salad, creamy macaroni salad, dressing for macaroni salad, easy macaroni salad, elbow macaroni salad, ham and macaroni salad, macaroni salad with ham, traditional macaroni salad recipe
Servings: 8
Calories: 351kcal
Author: Averie Sunshine
Ingredients
Pasta Salad
1pounddry elbow macaroni
1cupcubed hamoptional but recommended
½cupred oniondiced finely
½cupcarrotsfinely chopped
2 to 3ribs celerydiced finely
¼cupgreen oniondiced into thin rings
1tablespoonfresh dillplus more for garnishing if desired
Fresh parsleyoptional for garnishing
Dressing
1cupreal mayonnaise*
¼cupsour cream
2 to 3tablespoonsvinegarwhite vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or red wine vinegar
1tablespoonDijon mustard
2 to 3tablespoonsgranulated sugar or light brown sugarpacked
1teaspoongarlic powder
1teaspoonsaltplus more to taste if desired
1teaspoonfreshly ground black pepperplus more to taste if desired
Instructions
Cook the pasta according to package directions in salted water to al dente. When finished, drain, and rinse under cold water. While the pasta is boiling, mix up the dressing.
Dressing - To a large bowl, add all the dressing ingredients, whisk to combine; set aside.
Pasta Salad - Place drained and rinsed pasta in a large mixing bowl, add all the other pasta salad ingredients, pour the dressing over it, and toss very well to combine.
Taste and make any necessary flavor adjustments such as additional salt, pepper, garlic powder, etc.
Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or a lid, and place in the fridge to chill for at least 1 to 2 hours before serving. Tips - I don't recommend reducing the quantity of mayo or sour cream in the recipe because even though the pasta salad will look pretty saucy and 'juicy', lots of it will absorb into the pasta as it sits in the fridge and chills.
Before serving, stir the pasta salad well, and if desired garnish with dill and/or parsley, to taste. Pasta salad can be made up to 24 hours in advance. It will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 4 to 5 days. I don't recommend freezing this recipe.
Notes
* I recommend using real mayonnaise like Hellman’s Mayonnaise or Duke’s Real Mayonnaise, and not something like Miracle Whip or another type of “mayo”. I recommend using full-fat mayo and nothing labeled as lite or reduced fat for best results. Note that in the western part of the United States, Hellman's Mayonnaise goes by Best Foods Mayonnaise - it is the same product, just with different names.