When spring has sprung one day, and the next there are snowflakes are falling from the sky I keep telling myself over and over warmer weather is on the way.
It has to be! The first official day of spring is this week, it is staying light out until 7:30 or later, and I am starting to crave all things dubbed "warm weather" food. ALL of these are signs my favorite time of year is right around the corner.
So this past weekend when the sun was shining and the thermometer went above 50, it was time to grill! I had my Barbecue Burgers on the menu, with some roasted asparagus and wanted a summer side dish too! Obviously the first two things that came to mind were either potato or pasta salad. Well, we had just had potato salad so pasta salad it was. Macaroni to be exact; and it was time for something new. We all adore Mom's Macaroni Salad, but I wanted to try something new.
I didn't know for sure what it would have in it, but I knew it would have LOTS of hard boiled eggs in it. A little brainstorming and taste testing later, I had complete success. In fact, Mr. E tasted it when it was still half warm and said "I don't even care it's warm. We need lots of that. Lots and lots." I knew it was a winner!
With all those backyard barbecues and cookouts that are coming our way, one more macaroni/pasta salad recipe is sure to come in handy. Not to mention the graduation parties, bridal, baby showers and picnics, there will be so many times to eat this I can't wait! But if you don't want to wait...I think it would be super tasty with your Easter ham too!
Country Macaroni Salad
1 lb. elbow macaroni
6 hard boiled eggs, chopped
2 celery ribs, diced
1 1/2 cups mayo
2 tsp. yellow mustard
2 TBS sweet relish
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
1 TBS dried parsley
1/2 tsp. celery seed
Salt and Pepper to taste
Cook macaroni, rinse and drain. Place in large bowl in fridge for 20-30 minutes to chill. In a medium bowl mix mayo, mustard, relish, onion powder, Worcestershire, parsley, celery seed, salt and pepper. When macaroni is chilled, add chopped eggs and celery. Stir combine. Pour dressing over mixture. Stir well. Chill in fridge until ready to serve. Stir before serving.*NOTE* Allowing the macaroni to chill not only cools it, but it also prevents the salad from becoming watery.
