If you are looking for a simple macaroni salad recipe then you have come to the right place. We are sharing one of our favorite and very colorful macaroni salad recipes today.

This simple macaroni salad is made with elbow macaroni, roasted red peppers, black olives, dill pickles, green onions and yellow bell pepper for a smorgasbord of colors and flavors.

I remember my mom always made macaroni salad for every barbecue we did as a child. Beans, Potato salad, and a macaroni salad were always on our picnic table for those summer cookouts or picnics. And we never called it pasta salad, it was always called macaroni salad. But I’m not sure we ever said pasta either in our house either. I grew up in the Southwestern United States and my mother was from Arkansas so I’m not sure if the term “pasta” was ever used. I know my mom never made anything pasta except spaghetti so it was either spaghetti or macaroni on the table.

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We loved it when mom packed a picnic basket and we ate outside. We would go to a local park and eat at one of the picnic tables or she would spread a picnic blanket on the ground. It always made even a sandwich special but again, my mom was old-school so it was usually fried chicken. It was a classic picnic complete with checkered tablecloth, a thermos of tea or kool-aid (the old school kind), metal drinking glasses and a plastic container of homemade dessert usually brownies. Dad would make up some kind of mystery adventure such as a lost gold mine or a lost stash of gold. We never found the treasure but it was so exciting to think that we just might. These were such Good memories that didn’t cost my parents very much but were priceless to us.

Simple Macaroni Salad Recipe:

Scroll down for the complete and printable recipe

Ingredients

16 oz box Elbow Macaroni
Roasted Red Macaroni
Sliced Black Olives
Whole dill pickles, chopped
Green onions, sliced
yellow bell pepper, chopped
olive oil based mayonnaise
red wine vinegar
salt
black pepper
celery salt

Instructions:

Cook macaroni accordingly to package directions, drain and rinse under cold water until cool. Drain well.
In a small bowl, mix the mayonnaise, vinegar, celery salt, salt, and pepper.
In a large bowl, add the macaroni, roasted red peppers, black olives, bell pepper, green onions and dill pickles.
Pour in the mayonnaise mixture and gently stir until well combined.
Cover and place in the fridge to chill for at least 1 hour.

It doesn’t take much to make those lasting memories with children. All it takes is a picnic lunch and a lively sense of imagination.

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Print Recipe

5 from 10 votes

Simple Macaroni Salad

A Summer Macaroni Salad like mom made loaded with great flavors

Prep Time20

Chill Time1

Total Time1 20

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Simple Macaroni Salad, Summer Pasta Salad

Servings:

Calories: 118kcal

Author: Evelyn Osborn

Ingredients

1 16 oz box Elbow Macaroni
1 cup roasted red peppers canned in water, chopped
1/2 cup sliced black olives
3 whole dill pickles chopped
4 green onions sliced
1/2 yellow bell pepper chopped
1/2 cup olive oil based mayonnaise
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
black pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon celery salt

Instructions

Cook macaroni accordingly to package directions, drain and rinse under cold water until cool. Drain well.
In a small bowl, mix the mayonnaise, vinegar, celery salt, salt, and pepper.
In a large bowl, add the macaroni, roasted red peppers, black olives, bell pepper, green onions and dill pickles.
Pour in the mayonnaise mixture and gently stir until well combined.
Cover and place in the fridge to chill for at least 1 hour.