MACARONI SALAD WITH APPLES

Macaroni Salad with Apples image

Something a little different I came up with that satisfies my need for something savory and sweet, but with more vegetables than the typical pasta salad.

Provided by Susan Parran

Categories Salad 100+ Pasta Salad Recipes Macaroni Salad Recipes

Time 40m

Yield 10

Number Of Ingredients 16

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Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) package elbow macaroni
5 slices thick-cut applewood smoked bacon
½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup apple juice
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
2 ½ tablespoons dill pickle relish, or to taste
1 teaspoon mustard powder
½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
¾ cup chopped red onion
¾ cup julienned carrots
½ cup shredded red cabbage
½ cup diced bell pepper
½ cup diced celery
1 small Granny Smith apple, cored and chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 head red leaf lettuce, leaves separated

Steps:

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Rinse under cold water and set aside to drain.
While pasta is cooking, place bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned and crisp, 10 to 12 minutes. Blot bacon slices with paper towels and crumble when cool enough to handle.
Mix together mayonnaise, apple juice, apple cider vinegar, relish, mustard powder, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Fold in cooked macaroni. Add onion, carrots, red cabbage, bell pepper, celery, apple, and crumbled bacon; stir to combine. Place 2 or 3 lettuce leaves on each plate and top with macaroni salad.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 317.5 calories, Carbohydrate 40.6 g, Cholesterol 10.2 mg, Fat 13.1 g, Fiber 2.9 g, Protein 9 g, SaturatedFat 2.7 g, Sodium 308.9 mg, Sugar 5.5 g