MACARONI SALAD WITH A TWIST

Macaroni Salad with a Twist image

I was messin' around in my kitchen trying to put a twist on my traditional macaroni salad recipe. I tried several different dishes before I came up with this one. Now my friends and family can't get enough of it! I recommend making it a day ahead and chilling it overnight to really develop the flavors.

Provided by Sean

Categories Salad 100+ Pasta Salad Recipes Macaroni Salad Recipes

Time 4h28m

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 12

Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) package small seashell pasta
1 cup mayonnaise
¼ cup distilled white vinegar
⅔ cup white sugar
2 ½ tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
1 ½ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 large Vidalia or sweet onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
¼ cup grated carrots
1 pound diced cooked ham

Steps:

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta, but do not rinse. Let stand 5 minutes.
To make the dressing, combine the mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, mustard, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Set aside.
Combine the onion, celery, bell pepper, carrots, and ham in a large bowl. Stir in the dressing. Add the pasta and toss gently to blend all ingredients. Chill at least 4 hours before serving.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 581.9 calories, Carbohydrate 64.1 g, Cholesterol 43.9 mg, Fat 29.2 g, Fiber 2.9 g, Protein 17.7 g, SaturatedFat 5.5 g, Sodium 1415.5 mg, Sugar 20.3 g