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You are here: Home / Recipes / The Secret to Amazing Macaroni Salad: SUGAR!

The Secret to Amazing Macaroni Salad: SUGAR!

March 27, 2012 by BA Haggerty 3 Comments

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I’ve had many different kinds of Macaroni Salad in my lifetime from macaroni salad that is too dried out to macaroni salad with too much mayonnaise that makes my stomach hurt. The only Macaroni Salad I have ever loved is my mom’s macaroni salad!  She shared her top secret with me, and now I’m here to share it with you!!!  The secret ingredient to a fabulous macaroni salad is SUGAR!

The sugar sweetens it up a bit so you don’t have the harsh taste of the mayonnaise by itself. Here is the way I adapted my mom’s original recipe to make my own salad! I think I put in a little less mayonnaise than she does, but feel free to experiment with it and see what you like.  Another tip I would give is to make this salad the night before serving, so the ingredients can blend together and the sugar and salt can really dissolve in.
Ingredients:
  • 1 box elbow macaroni (1 pound)
  • 1 and 1/2 cup Hellman’s Real Mayonnaise
  • 1 cup diced celery (this come out to be about 4 stalks)
  • 1 cup diced sweet onion/Vidalia Onion (it will be approximately a half of a large onion)
  • 2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup of sugar (Yes, a quarter cup!!  It sounds like a lot of sugar, but this is what makes the salad!!!!)
Directions:
  • Scoop your mayonnaise into a bowl.  Add in your 1/2 teaspoon salt and your 1/4 cup of sugar.  Stir until well blended and then set aside for later.
  • Place a pot of water on the stove to boil.  Add a little salt and some vegetable oil to the water.
  • Bring the pot to a boil and then add in your noodles.  Boil until the noodles are cooked thoroughly.
  • Strain your noodles and then run cold water over the noodles to cool them.  Pour them into a mixing bowl once cooled.
  • Dice up your celery and onions very small and then add to the noodles.  Give it a quick mix with your hands.
  • Add in your parsley flakes and mix again.  If the salad looks like it need a little more color, add in a little more parsley.
  • Next, add in your mayonnaise/salt/sugar mixture and stir until evenly distributed throughout the salad.
  • Store overnight in the refrigerator and give another stir before serving.
We had a surprise work bridal shower today for a girl I work with, Kristin!  I brought this macaroni salad in to share with everyone at the shower.  It is great for a crowd because it makes quite a lot!  I filled an entire 13×9 disposable foil cake pan with this macaroni salad. It was definitely a hit!

Filed Under: Recipes, Salads

About BA Haggerty

BA Haggerty is the recipe developer, food photographer, and creator of FoodMarriage, a food blog based in the suburbs of Philadelphia, PA. She is a former healthcare recruiter and mom of 3 girls. Since 2011, BA has been helping busy moms make easy recipes that their whole family will love!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Emma

    July 4, 2013 at 12:14 pm

    Sounds Yummy! I’m going to try this today for an Independence Day Potluck.

    Reply
    • BA Haggerty

      July 24, 2013 at 11:02 pm

      Hope you enjoy it!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Homemade Cole Slaw Recipe with Cucumbers says:
    July 4, 2013 at 5:16 pm

    […] chose this recipe to work with because it uses sugar.  I know from my experience with making my Macaroni Salad Recipe that sugar definitely improves the taste of salads made with mayonnaise by sweetening up! I […]

    Reply

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My name is BA and I want to thank you for stopping by the Food Marriage Blog! I live in the Greater Philadelphia area and am having an amazing time sharing my experiences of being married, having fun, loving life, and loving food! (Read More...)

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