Creamy Macaroni Salad

 creamy Macaroni salad filled with fresh vegetables, chunks of ham & Cheese.

Hello!

I hope you all had a FABULOUS weekend!

Hubby and I had a blast searching for treasures on Saturday, and although I didn’t find many ‘must-haves’, he scored several!  The best part was watching him negotiate.   With his sense of humor and quick wit, those poor folks didn’t have a chance!

Sunday was spent catching up on chores (that’s what happens when you play on Saturday) and later, we enjoyed a quiet ‘backyard’ barbecue which included one of our favorite summer dishes!

Let me just say that when it comes to macaroni salad, I am VERY, VERY finicky!

It’s all in the dressing for me, folks.

It’s taken years to come up with just the right combination of creamy and tangy for my dressing. But I think I finally have done it. And now I’m going to share that recipe with you.
Now some folks might think there is more to Macaroni Salad than just a good dressing. I totally agree! Big chunks of ham and cheese are a MUST in our house. Along with crunchy celery, sweet onion, and of course peas! Yes, you’ll find all of the above in this salad! But you’ll also find my secret ingredient. One you might not think of in a macaroni salad.
Sweet relish!
Yes, you read that right. Sweet Relish. An ingredient I always have added to my Classic Potato Salad, and just recently started adding to this salad!
Trust me, once you try it you’ll know why!
I hope you enjoy my Macaroni Salad!
Here’s the recipe! 

Creamy Macaroni Salad

Course Salad
Keyword macaroni
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 12

Ingredients

  • 2 eggs lightly beaten
  • 6 tbsp white sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp dry mustard
  • 1/3 cup vinegar
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • salt to taste
  • 1/2 cup Mayonaise
  • 2 tbls half and half
  • 1 16 oz pkg macaroni (large shells) cooked and rinsed with cold water
  • 1 stalk celery diced
  • 1/4 cup red onion diced
  • 1 cup ham diced
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 1 Tablespoon sweet relish

Instructions

  1. Combine eggs, sugar, mustard, vinegar salt, and butter into a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Lower heat and let simmer until thickened. (Stir constantly). About 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Meanwhile, combine macaroni, celery, onion, ham, cheese, salt, pepper, and frozen peas into a large bowl. Add the mayo, sweet relish, and the half and half to dressing.  Pour dressing over salad and mix well. Chill until ready to serve.

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