Ingredients: 1 pound macaroni, cooked according to package directions 1/2 cup olive oil 1/4 cup chopped onion 3 cloves garlic, minced 1/4 teaspoon salt Freshly ground black pepper to taste 8 cups chicken or vegetable broth or water 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard powder 2 tablespoons honey 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (or 1 teaspoon dried oregano) 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme) Instructions: In a large pot, cook the macaroni according to package directions. Drain any excess water and set aside. In the same pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the salt and pepper and continue cooking for a minute more. Add the broth or water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in Dijon mustard powder, honey, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper and thyme; simmer for another minute or two until heated through. Serve hot with your favorite dipping sauces!
You may also be interested in these articles about Macaroni Salad
How much macaroni salad do you need per person?Best ways to serve macaroni salad for a crowdWhat is Filipino Style Macaroni Salad
Can Macaroni Salad be Made the Night Before?
Yes. Macaroni salad is an ideal side dish to make ahead of dinner or luncheon for a crowd. Just prepare all the ingredients ahead of time, then stir in the dressing and you have a delicious dish that lasts all week (if needed). However, the macaroni might lose its original shine when it absorbs the dressing, muting the flavors. Yet, we do have some tips to avert this from occurring.
How to Keep Macaroni Salad From Drying Out
Nothing is better than a batch of homemade macaroni salad. But, the key is to not let it dry out before your guests get to sample it. The most important step to avoid drying out is to ensure the noodles are not overcooked. Noodles that are cooked too long become grossly soggy. Ensure to cook the noodles exactly as the instructions state. This will make your macaroni salad ideally creamy.
How Do I Keep My Macaroni Salad Moist?
Macaroni contains lots of starch. Therefore, this makes water absorb into the noodles. One way to avoid this absorption is to add a little vegetable oil to the noodles and stir it around to coat them. The oil aids in preventing the macaroni from retaining and holding onto the water. The oil creates a water-repellent layer for the macaroni to cook in. In addition, adding some lemon juice to the macaroni salad also aids in retaining moisture.
How To Freshen Your Macaroni Salad?
To freshen up your macaroni salad, make sure to use plenty of the base. For example, 3 tablespoons of sour cream and a half cup of mayonnaise for every two cups of macaroni. If you prefer, you can use more sour cream or mayonnaise to make modifications to the dressing as you please.
How to Keep Mayonnaise from Absorbing in the Macaroni
Because the starch contained within the macaroni makes it prone to the absorption of mayonnaise. Therefore, how do you prevent the noodles from soaking up the mayonnaise? If you drain it well while in the cooling process, you will prevent the noodles from clumping and absorbing the dressing.
How Long Will Homemade Macaroni Salad Remain Good?
When you make a homemade macaroni salad it will last for about four or five days in the refrigerator. Although you do need to ensure this salad is stored in an airtight container. macaroni salad is the ideal side dish to make in advance. Particularly if you are short on time and planning a large dinner party. To freshen it up, keep an extra dish of the dressing in a separate container, so 10 minutes prior to serving you can toss this dressing in it real quick.
Can I Freeze Macaroni Salad with Mayonnaise?
After making a large batch of macaroni salad ahead of time for a crowd, you might wonder–can I freeze it? If you have already blended in the sour cream and mayonnaise, then the answer is ideally “no”. The reason is these ingredients are cream-based and freezing them will create a texture that is less than desirable when thawed. Therefore, you are better off putting your macaroni salad in airtight containers in the refrigerator until the day of the event. Just don’t make it more than 4 or 5 days ahead of time.
