Ingredients for Tuna Macaroni Salad

How to Make Tuna Macaroni Salad

This easy tuna macaroni salad can be made in about 20 minutes. You’ll have delicious flavor in a bowl in no time. 

1. Start by cooking your pasta according to the directions on the box. Don’t overcook your pasta; no one wants mushy pasta. Cook macaroni so you have al dente pasta!
2. Drain the cooked macaroni and let It cool slightly. 
3. Place the noodles in a large bowl. 
4. Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and mix until fully combined. 
5. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving. 
6. If needed, add a Tbsp or more of mayo. Sometimes the noodles soak up the “sauce,” and sometimes they don’t 
7. Add salt and pepper to taste! 

Simple tip: Once your macaroni noodles are done cooking, rinse them in the sink under cold water. Place them in a colander or strainer and run cool water over them for a minute or two. Be sure to stir them around so they all touch the water. This helps cool them off faster so you can mix them into your other ingredients. 

Any kind of tuna will do, but many prefer solid white albacore tuna or chunk light tuna. No matter which you choose, find good quality tuna for the best results. You want flaky tuna in your creamy tuna macaroni salad. 

What to serve with Macaroni Tuna Salad?

Macaroni salad is a staple cookout side dish. So what do you pair with it as a main dish? Some family favorites are hot dogs and burgers, chicken sandwiches, and pulled pork! Add some chips and dip and more favorite side dishes for the perfect picnic spread or complete meal. 

How long is tuna salad good in the fridge? 

Keep your tuna macaroni salad fresh in the fridge for 3-5 days. Place the ingredients in an airtight container for optimal freshness, and eat it as quickly as possible. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper if you haven’t already, and enjoy! 

How to keep the macaroni salad from drying out

Every time you eat your salad, add a small scoop of mayo to provide some extra moisture. Eating it quickly also helps! 

Another suggestion is to leave a little of the tuna juice in the bowl and give it a good mix before eating.

Can I add dill pickles? 

I am a dill pickle lover, so I’m game for adding them to anything. While I haven’t added them to this simple salad, it could add some nice salty flavor! Give it a try, and let me know how it tastes. If you don’t love dill pickles, adding fresh dill may suffice as well! 

Grab this simple recipe and whip it up for your next picnic or set it aside for a light lunch! I hope you enjoy this tuna macaroni salad recipe as much as our family does. It’s the perfect side dish for any occasion and is sure to please any crowd. Add it to your list of favorite recipes and get cooking! 

For more delicious recipes, try these! 

Make some Classic Stromboli for a tasty lunch for the family. Chicken Salad also makes a delicious lunch option for the whole family. Kids and adults love this simple recipe. For those chillier days, try Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup!

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Tuna Macaroni Salad

This Tuna Macaroni Salad is a delicious classic family recipe! Noodles, canned tuna, and a creamy sauce makes or a simple side dish!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword Tuna Macaroni Salad

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 10 servings

Ingredients

• 1 16 oz box small macaroni shells
• 2 cups mayo
• 2 celery stalks, diced small
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 1/2 TBSP yellow mustard
• 4 hard boiled eggs, diced
• 2 cans of in-water tuna, regular size

Instructions

• Start by cooking your pasta according to the directions on the box.
• Drain the cooked macaroni and let It cool slightly.
• Place the noodles in a large bowl.
• Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and mix until fully combined.
• Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving.
• If needed, add a Tbsp or more of mayo. Sometimes the noodles soak up the “sauce,” and sometimes they don’t

The post Tuna Macaroni Salad appeared first on Backroad Serenity.

A little spicy, a little sweet, this mango salsa recipe is one of our favorite ways to eat salsa in our house! Fresh ingredients come together to make one amazing salsa that keeps you reaching for bite after bite. Perfect for taco night, a festive party, or whenever the craving strikes!

Easy, Fresh Mango Salsa

Who else here LOVES mango? It’s not a fruit we always have in our kitchen at home, but when I do pick some up at the grocery store it’s always with a specific purpose! We like adding mango to smoothies or simply slicing some up for a healthy snack, but this fresh mango salsa might be my new favorite way to enjoy this delicious fruit! 

It’s easier than you might think to make your own salsa at home. This recipe is so simple — all you need to do is gather your ingredients, chop everything up, and toss it all together. You will have fresh mango salsa on the table in a matter of just minutes, and it’s so much better than anything you can find at the grocery store!

Ingredients you’ll need to make this mango salsa

This recipe calls for many of the standard salsa ingredients, but with a twist — mango takes the place of tomato!

Here is what you’ll need:

• Mangos
• Red onion
• Red pepper, can adjust the amount to taste
• Jalapeno, as little or as much as you’d like depending on your spicy preference
• Lime juice, fresh squeezed is the way to go!
• Salt
• Cilantro leaves OR Italian parsley leaves, whichever you prefer!

How should I use my mango salsa?

This mango salsa tastes delicious on any kind of seafood tacos. We tried it on my Easy Shrimp Tacos and it was the perfect addition! I’d also recommend adding it to fish tacos or serving it up with your favorite tortilla chips. If you’re cooking up some fish or chicken breasts for dinner, this goes great as a topping to make everything bright and flavorful.

It also makes a simple crowd-pleasing party food. You can make this salsa ahead of time, cover it, and let it chill in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve it up to your guests. If you have a lot of mouths to feed, feel free to double the recipe as needed.

Tips for making fresh mango salsa

• You either love or hate cilantro, and I personally HATE it. If you’ve got taste buds like mine, you can swap it out for Italian parsley or another herb of your choosing! It might not taste exactly the same, but it will be just as delicious.
• If you’re not a fan of spice or you are serving this to younger kids, make sure to take all of the seeds and membrane out of your jalapeno — that’s where the majority of the spicy stuff is! And if you hate spice altogether, feel free to leave it out.
• Mangos can be a little tricky to cut up, since they are a bit slimy to handle and you have to cut around the pit. If you have not done it before, I’d recommend following a tutorial online to make things easier for you!
• Taste your salsa after you have mixed everything together to check to see if you like the balance of flavors! Depending on how juicy your lime is, how much salt you prefer, or how much you want the fresh herb flavors to come through, you may want to adjust some ingredients to your liking.

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Easy Mango Salsa

A little spicy, a little sweet, this mango salsa recipe is one of our favorite ways to eat salsa in our house! Fresh ingredients come together to make one amazing salsa that keeps you reaching for bite after bite.

Ingredients

• 3 mangoes, diced
• 1/3 cup red onion, diced
• 1/2 red bell pepper (can add more if desired)
• 1/2 jalapeno, diced (can add more if desired)
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup cilantro or parsley flakes

Instructions

• Dice mangos, red onion, red pepper and jalapeno into similar sized pieces. You don’t want them to be too small, but you also want to avoid large chunks.
• In a bowl, mix together diced mangos, red onion, red pepper, and jalapeno with the salt and cilantro or Italian parsley leaves. 
• Add lime juice and toss together.
• Chill salsa until serving or serve immediately with chips, tacos, or any way you like!

The post Mango Salsa appeared first on Backroad Serenity.

Dill pickles are my favorite variety of pickles, it’s actually really the only one that I like. I just can’t seem to like the “bread & butter” pickles as many times as I try.  Making your own pickles from home couldn’t be easier with this no canning required method.   You only need some harvest ready pickles, or store bought pickles and a few other fresh ingredients. You can ready to eat pickles in about 4 days and they will keep for about 1 -2 months, if they even last that long. 🙂 

THE BEST CUCUMBERS FOR PICKLING

• Regular Cucumbers are the normal cucumbers you can find at the grocery store, these typically have large seeds and tend to be more watery. 
• English Cucumbers are my preferred pickles to use when making refrigerator dill pickles. They are crips and often have very small seeds. These are the long thin cucumbers typically found wrapped in plastic.  You can even use the mini versions.
• Pickling/Kirby Cucumbers are harder to find in grocery stores but if you come across them in a farmers market their crisp skin makes these a perfect pickle option!

FRESH INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR DILL PICKLES

• Cucumbers, my preference is English cucumbers or Pickling/Kirby
• Fresh Garlic Cloves
• Fresh Dill 
• Sugar
• Salt
• Vinegar

HOW TO MAKE REFRIGERATOR DILL PICKLES

1. Prepare brine, simmer for 10 minutes and allow to cool to room temperature.
2. Add fresh garlic cloves and dill to bottom of jars
3. Pack jars with either spears or slices of cucumbers
4. Add more garlic and dill to top of cucumbers.
5. Pour brine over cucumbers and add lid.
6. Refrigerate for 3-4 days to let the brine do it’s work before enjoying. 🙂

For more delicious veggie ideas try these:

• Easy Vegetable Dip
• Creamy Cucumber Tomato Salad
• Roasted Parmesan Green Beans

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Refrigerator Dill Pickles

These Refrigerator Dill Pickles are a delicious recipe for homemade pickles, no canning required! You only need a few ingredients and your pickles will be ready in as little as 4 days! 

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword Refrigerator Dill Pickles

Ingredients

• 10-12 cucumbers we prefer English or Kirby/Pickling
• 8 cups water
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup salt
• 2 cups white vinegar
• 6 garlic cloves
• 4-5 Dill Sprigs

Instructions

• Pour water, sugar, salt, and vinegar into a large pot.
• Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Cool to room temperature.
• Put a sprig of fresh dill and 3-4 garlic cloves in the bottom of each quart sized jar.
• Pack with sliced or speared pickling cucumbers.
• Put 3 garlic cloves and a small sprig of dill on top.
• Pour cooled brine mixture over cucumbers and place lid on top.
• Refrigerate.
• Ready to eat in 4 days for the best tasting cucumbers!
• Store in refrigerator for 1-2 months.

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Pasta Salad with Italian Dressing

Summer is all about time spent with family and friends centered around picnics and BBQ’s and all the yummy food. This pasta salad is one of our favorite dishes to pass and feeds a bunch! It’s filled with fresh veggies, meat and cheese.  It’s tossed with store bought Italian dressing making this a dish that’s easy to prepare with minimal ingredients.

Ingredients Needed

The best part about this Italian pasta salad is you can add as many ingredients as you want.  You can swap out what you don’t like and add what you do.  For instance, in most pasta salads there are black olives, however; my kids and I are not fans of them so we just leave them out. Some of our favorite ingredients added to our pasta salad are:

• Tomato
• Bell Peppers, any color
• Ham Cubes
• Cheddar cheese cubes
• Salami, chopped
• Pepperoni, chopped
• Fresh Parmesan Cheese
• Italian dressing, homemade or store bought

How to make Italian Pasta Salad:

1. Cook pasta al dente according to package directions. Rinse under cold water.
2. Chop your tomatoes, peppers, salami, pepperoni, and cheese, into bite sized pieces.
3. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Add Italian dressing and toss.
4. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. Once ready to serve toss and add a bit more dressing if needed, as the noodles can soak up the dressing. 

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Italian Pasta Salad

Course Side Dish

Keyword Italian Pasta Salad

Ingredients

• 16 ounces rotini pasta we liked to use the multi colored
• 1 bell papper chopped
• 1 pint grape tomatoes halved
• 1 cup cubed cheddar cheese
• 8 ounces salami chopped
• 8 ounces pepperoni choopped
• 1 cup italian dressing
• 1/3 cup parmesan cheese freshly grated

Instructions

• Cook pasta al dente according to package directions. Rinse under cold water.
• Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Add dressing and toss.
• Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. When ready to serve toss and add a bit more dressing if needed.

For more delicious picnic recipes you should try these:

• Homemade Sloppy Joes
• Ambrosia Fruit Salad
• Easy Baked Macaroni & Cheese
• Roasted Parmesan Green Beans

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