Dad's Summer Tuna / Mac Salad

baldwin bistro's Note:

A great summertime side dish...my mom and I were reflecting on where in the world this recipe came from---my dad made it for me as a child, and it's so perfect, I never could face to mess with changing it! I've seen some close variations, but this is my all-time favorite!! Even my hubby who hates olives loves this!!

• Total Time: 20 mins
• Prep Time: 12 mins
• Cook Time: 8 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 1 (6 ounce) can albacore tuna in water
• 1/2-3/4 cup Miracle Whip (mayo not recommended)
• 2 celery ribs, finely diced
• 1/3 cup green olives, sliced (with pimentos)
• 1 lb elbow macaroni (cooked slightly al dente, then chilled rinsed to cool)
• onion powder, to taste
• celery salt, to taste
• garlic salt, to taste
• black pepper, to taste (I like Mortons Nature Seasoning)

Directions:

1. Boil pasta until slightly undercooked (should still have a slight bite to it!) Be sure to completely chill elbows before adding to mixture.
2. Drain and flake tuna in bowl, add celery and sliced olives.
3. Add Miracle Whip and season with Nature's Seasoning to desired taste----season carefully as olives add quite a bit of saltiness!
4. Cover and chill for 45 minutes to meld flavors!
5. Great with burgers, brats, any summertime favorite or with a simple friut salad as a main dish!

Reviews

[carolinafan]

Prepared this for Fall PAC '08. I left out the olives but otherwise prepared as posted and it tasted great. Thanks for posting.

[Lorrie in Montreal]

Made for PAC Fall 08. Delicious pasta salad! I used garlic powder,onion powder,and celery seed in place of the salts and added plain S& P to taste.I also used rotini rather than elbow macaroni...I always try to use rotini or fusilli in salads because the sauce tends to stick better to them. This is very similiar to my Mum's macaroni salad with the addition of the olives which I loved!

[Chef Booshman]

Dad did good! I have had so much potato salad so far this summer, I had to try something new. This caught my eye and I had to make it. We're having BBQ'd ribs tonight for a family of four,so I figured I'd make this ahead of time. Made only 1/2 a box because I didn't want to eat it for the rest of the week. It was all gone 2 hours before dinner. (Shoulda made the whole box) I can't cook without onions, so I added same amount of chopped onion as I had of celery. I used 3 good shakes of Old Bay seasoning since I'm a southern Maryland boy. Thanks for a keeper! Will rotate this with the tater salad!