Chicken Macaroni Holiday Salad (Print version)

Tender macaroni combined with chicken, celery, and a tangy mustard-relish dressing for a festive cold salad.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 2 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked

→ Protein

02 - 2 cans (10 oz each) cooked chicken, drained

→ Vegetables

03 - 1 cup celery, finely diced (about 2 stalks)
04 - 1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
05 - 1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
06 - 1/4 cup sweet pickle relish

→ Dressing

07 - 1/2 cup mayonnaise
08 - 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
09 - 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
10 - 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
11 - 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
12 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

→ Garnish

13 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
14 - Paprika for sprinkling

# How to Make:

01 - Bring salted water to a boil and cook macaroni until just al dente. Drain and rinse thoroughly under cold water to cool.
02 - In a large bowl, mix cooled macaroni with drained chicken, celery, red bell pepper, red onion, and sweet pickle relish.
03 - Whisk mayonnaise, yellow mustard, apple cider vinegar, sugar, salt, and black pepper in a separate bowl until smooth.
04 - Pour the dressing over the macaroni mixture and toss gently until evenly coated.
05 - Cover and refrigerate for at least 60 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
06 - Before serving, sprinkle with chopped parsley and paprika as desired. Serve cold.

# Expert tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in under an hour, and most of that time is just letting it chill while you do other things.
  • The flavor gets better as it sits, so you can make it the night before and actually reduce your workload day-of.
  • It travels beautifully and tastes just as good at room temperature, which makes it the ultimate potluck weapon.
02 -
  • Do not skip the rinsing step after draining the pasta—warm macaroni will continue cooking and turn to mush, and that's the one thing that will ruin this dish.
  • The dressing will seem thin when you first make it, but it thickens subtly as it sits and absorbs into the pasta, so resist the urge to add more mayo.
  • Make this at least two hours ahead if possible—the flavors need time to settle and meld, and rushing it makes it taste flat and separated.
03 -
  • Always taste your dressing before adding it to the salad so you can adjust the salt and vinegar to your preference—every brand of mayo and mustard tastes slightly different.
  • The secret to keeping it from becoming a gluey mess is using good mayonnaise and not overdressing; it's better to start with less and add a tablespoon more if it seems dry after sitting.
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