Description

A simple, crowd-pleasing macaroni salad loaded with ham, sweet pickles, and celery in a creamy dressing. It requires no complex techniques, tastes better the next day, and is perfect for summer parties and potlucks.

Ingredients

Scale

1 pound elbow macaroni
1 pound honey ham, diced
1 cup sweet pickles, chopped
2 stalks celery, finely diced
1 small red onion, finely diced
1 cup full-fat mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
Salt to taste

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add elbow macaroni and cook until al dente (8-10 minutes).
Drain the pasta and rinse immediately under cold water to stop cooking and remove excess starch. Let it drain well.
While pasta cooks, dice ham, pickles, and celery into roughly 1/4 inch pieces. Dice red onion and soak in cold water for 10 minutes to reduce bite, then drain and pat dry.
In a medium bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, yellow mustard, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, and black pepper until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled pasta, ham, pickles, celery, and onions.
Pour the dressing over the mixture and fold gently but thoroughly until every noodle is coated.
Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour (ideally two) to allow flavors to meld.
Before serving, stir well. If the salad is too thick, add a splash of milk or extra mayo to loosen.

Notes

Do not skip rinsing the pasta with cold water; this prevents clumping and keeps the salad fluffy. The salad tastes better the next day as the noodles absorb the dressing. It does not freeze well. If using sweet pickle relish, squeeze out excess liquid to prevent sogginess.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Category: Side Dish
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 cup
Calories: 320
Sugar: 6
Sodium: 650
Fat: 16
Saturated Fat: 4
Carbohydrates: 35
Fiber: 1
Protein: 12

Keywords: macaroni salad, labor day recipe, summer side dish, ham salad, easy potluck recipe, cold pasta salad, crowd pleaser