Macaroni Salad

Submitted by lbandbuggy

"This is my grandmother's mac salad recipe, and it is the best! The most important part is letting it sit overnight, it always tastes best the next day."

 

• Ready In: 30mins
• Ingredients: 13
• Serves: 10-12

ingredients

• 2 1⁄4 cups mayonnaise
• 1 3⁄4 teaspoons white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon mustard
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 pinch sugar
• 1 3⁄4 teaspoons salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 lb macaroni
• 1⁄2 cup celery, chopped finely
• 1⁄2 cup onion, chopped finely
• 1⁄4 cup carrot
• 1 pinch crab boil seasoning
• 1 lb raw shrimp, small

directions

1. Boil macaroni per directions on the box and drain. (I use Barilla macaroni, because the dressing sticks to the macaroni better because of the texture).
2. Steam the shrimp, or however you prepare it best. (I use a 12 oz bottle of beer with 12 oz water, add about 3/4 cup of crab boil seasoning, and bring to a boil. Add shrimp, bring back to a slow boil over medium heat, and cook for 15 minutes, and they come out perfect. I use the smallest shrimp, b/c I am cutting them up, so why spend the money on bigger shrimp!). Then peel and chop them in 2-3 small pieces each.
3. Combine mayo, vinegar, mustard, sugar, salt & pepper, and crab boil seasoning in separate bowl. (I get the crab boil seasoning from my local crab house, but you could use old bay, or whatever your local seafood place has, but some are better than others, so you may have to experiment).
4. Add celery, onions, and carrot to macaroni. (I use a vegetable peeler on the carrot, and then slice the pieces very fine and cut in a few small pieces, so there are small slivers of carrot, or you can use pre-shredded carrot).
5. Mix dressing into the macaroni mixture.
6. Mix in shrimp after it is cooled and chopped.
7. Most important - LET SIT OVERNIGHT. The dressing needs some time to meld the flavors together. It may seem too wet when you originally add the dressing in, but once it sits overnight, the macaroni sucks up some of it, and it winds up just right. You may need to add some salt and pepper to taste.
8. This makes a lot of salad, and is good for a party or cookout.