Nana’s Macaroni Salad

Name: Nana's Macaroni Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 9 min
Total time: 24 min
Ingredients: 8 ounces elbow macaroni (about 2 cups); 1 cup mayonnaise; 2 tablespoons white vinegar; 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard; 1 teaspoon sugar; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper; 1 cup diced celery; 1 1/2 cups diced green or red bell pepper; 1/4 cup diced onion

Author by Amanda Formaro on June 9, 2020 Updated on June 25, 2022

5 from 14 votes

Nana brought her macaroni salad to every church potluck she attended. If she didn't bring it, she heard about it from everyone. I know you're going to love how easy it comes together!

Cook Time 9 mins

Total Time 24 mins

Jump to Recipe

bowl of macaroni salad with a wooden spoon

In search of a go-to macaroni salad for backyard barbecues, a church potluck, or the holidays? This classic recipe from my Nana is a crowd pleaser and perfectly portable!

Why this recipe works

The addition of diced crunchy vegetables works perfectly with the al dente pasta in this family favorite.

Simple ingredients mean it’s quite possible that you have everything you need in your pantry and refrigerator.

Nana brought her macaroni salad to every church potluck she attended. If she didn’t bring it, she heard about it!

Ingredients you will need

While I suggest red bell pepper in this salad, you can use any variety of bell or sweet pepper. Red adds nice color, but so would yellow or orange or a combination of all the above!

labeled ingredient photo for macaroni salad

Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.

How to Make Nana’s Macaroni Salad

These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. Please scroll down to simply print out the recipe!

Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain and rinse with cold water until completely cool.

Combine Mayonnaise, vinegar, Dijon Mustard, sugar, salt, and pepper in large bowl.

Stir together celery, bell peppers, onion, and dressing ingredients.

Stir in the cooked and cooled macaroni.
Cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit in the refrigerator for at least one hour, preferably 4 hours.

Expert Tips & FAQs

Dressings tend to taste better with time. Allowing your macaroni salad to sit in the refrigerator for several hours gives the dressing a chance to soak into the pasta. The flavor melds nicely and you will enjoy this salad so much more!
I like to use a Chop Wizard with the small chop blade to quickly chop my veggies. I don’t like giant chunks in my salad. My belief is that the vegetables should complement and enhance the macaroni, not overpower it.
We use elbow macaroni in our salad, but you can use whatever you like. Ditalini is a variety of pasta shaped like little short tubes and works great in macaroni salad!

I hope you love Nana’s Macaroni Salad just as much as we do!

More Salad Ideas for Summer

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Amanda Formaro

President at Amanda's Creative Studio, Inc.

Amanda Formaro is the crafty, entrepreneurial mother of four grown children. She loves to bake, cook, make kid's crafts and create decorative items for her home. She is a crafting expert and guru in the kitchen and has appeared online and in print publications many times over the years. She is also a craft book author five times over and product developer as well as the owner of FunFamilyCrafts.com. You can find her on social media by using the buttons to the left!