Description
Sweet macaroni salad brings a delightful symphony of creamy, tangy flavors that dance across your palate. Crisp vegetables and tender pasta create a perfect harmony, promising a refreshing side dish sure to charm gatherings with its irresistible comfort.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1 package (16 ounces / 454 grams) elbow macaroni
- 2 cups mayonnaise
- 1 can (14 ounces / 397 grams) sweetened condensed milk
Vegetables:
- 4 medium carrots, shredded
- 1 large green pepper, chopped
- 1 medium red onion, chopped
Seasoning and Liquid:
- 1 cup cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Boil macaroni in salted water until tender, then immediately transfer to an ice bath to halt cooking process and prevent overcooking. Thoroughly drain excess water using a colander.
- Finely dice red onion, green pepper, and shred carrots into uniform, delicate pieces to ensure balanced texture throughout the salad.
- Create creamy dressing by whisking mayonnaise, condensed milk, cider vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper until silky smooth, ensuring no sugar granules remain.
- Transfer drained macaroni to a spacious mixing bowl, then gently fold in prepared vegetables using a spatula to distribute ingredients evenly.
- Pour prepared dressing over the macaroni mixture, stirring with gentle, sweeping motions to coat every pasta piece completely without breaking the noodles.
- Seal the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for minimum 2 hours, preferably overnight, allowing flavors to harmonize and develop a rich, integrated taste profile.
- Before serving, give the salad a final gentle stir to redistribute the dressing and ensure maximum flavor consistency throughout the dish.
Notes
- Quickly rinse pasta with cold water to stop cooking and prevent mushy texture, ensuring each noodle remains firm and separate.
- Use a mix of sweet and tangy condensed milk and vinegar to create a balanced, creamy dressing that coats every ingredient perfectly.
- Grate carrots finely to distribute sweetness evenly and allow better absorption of the dressing’s flavors throughout the salad.
- Chill salad overnight to enhance taste development, letting ingredients marinate and create a more complex, harmonious flavor profile.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Category: Lunch, Snacks, Appetizer
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 383
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 222 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 21 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg