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Every family probably has a Macaroni Salad recipe. And if not, you can always buy some at your grocery store deli. Our recipe comes from my husband’s side of the family. Granny’s Macaroni Salad was one of the first recipes I nabbed from her.
Granny’s directions were a bit vague.
(Post modified with new photos on 7/16/22.)
Of course, when Granny gave me the details it was more “Oh, I dump a little here and if I have some of that, I’ll dump it in too” kind of recipe.
So, it took a little experimenting on my part to get the ingredients and portions right. Macaroni. Carrots. Celery. Radishes. Green peppers and Onions. And the most important part--The Dressing— consists of Miracle Whip, granulated sugar, yellow mustard and apple cider vinegar. Simple and easy. Just the way Granny liked it.
Here’s my best try at making Granny Oehlert’s version of Macaroni Salad. It’s perfect for summer picnics, potluck dinners, or family gatherings of any sort.
Ingredients Needed for Granny’s Macaroni Salad
See full recipe in its entirety at the bottom of this post.
- elbow macaroni
- carrots
- celery
- radishes (optional)
- green peppers
- sweet onion
- salad dressing (like Miracle Whip)
- sugar
- yellow mustard
- cider vinegar
Directions for Making this Salad
Gather your ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table.
Prepare your Ingredients
In a medium saucepan, cook macaroni according to package instructions, approximately 9-11 minutes. Drain macaroni into a colander and rinse with cold running water. Place in a large serving bowl.
The vegetables should all be finely diced or grated.
Using a vegetable grater and a Chef’s knife and cutting board, prepare the vegetables. Peel and grate the carrots. Finely dice the celery, radishes, and green peppers. Mince the onions. Add vegetables to the cooled macaroni in the large serving bowl.
In a glass measuring cup or bowl combine salad dressing, granulated sugar, yellow mustard, and apple cider vinegar. Whisk together until smooth.
Pour one half of the dressing over the salad and mix well. Allow to chill for two hours in the refrigerator.
Add the remaining dressing mixture over the salad before serving. Mix well. Place salad in a pretty serving dish.
The macaroni will soak up the salad dressing as it chills. I’ve found it’s best to reserve some of the dressing to mix into the salad right before serving to ensure moistness.
This recipe will serve 8-10 people.
See more Salad Recipes Here. See more Family Recipes Here.
Granny's Macaroni Salad
Ingredients
- 10 oz. elbow macaroni cooked and drained
- 1/2 cup carrots peeled and grated
- 1/2 cup celery finely diced
- 1/2 cup radishes Optional
- 1/2 cup green peppers finely diced
- 1/2 cup sweet onion minced
- 1 cup salad dressing like Miracle Whip
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
Instructions
- Gather your ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table.
Prepare Your Ingredients
- In a medium saucepan, cook macaroni according to package instructions, approximately 9-11 minutes. Drain macaroni into a colander and rinse with cold running water. Place in a large serving bowl.
- Using a vegetable grater and a Chef's knife and cutting board, prepare the vegetables. Peel and grate the carrots. Finely dice the celery, radishes, and green peppers. Mince the onion.
- Add the prepared vegetables to the cooled macaroni in the large serving bowl.
Prepare the Salad Dressing
- In a glass measuring cup combine the salad dressing, granulated sugar, yellow mustard, and cider vinegar. Whisk together until smooth.
- Pour half of the dressing over the salad and mix well. Allow to chill for two hours.
- Before serving, pour the remaining salad dressing over the salad. Mix well. Makes 8-10 servings.
Notes
Thank you so much for this recipe I didn’t know what to do with the radishes.. I could probably put other veggies in there to couldn’t I.
Hi Tracy, Thanks for stopping by. I don’t have radishes in any of my pictures, but they are quite good in the salad. Gives it a little punch! As mentioned in the instructions, just finely dice them along with the celery and green bell pepper. And yes, you may try whatever veggie you want, as long as it is fresh! Be brave!