Ham and Cheddar Macaroni Salad
Creamy, Tangy, Salty and Delicious
Ham and Cheddar Macaroni Salad is perfect as a cookout side for the warm weather months that are upon us. Made with leftover ham, sharp cheddar cheese, and basic cooking staples like mayonnaise and pickle juice.
I made this salad using my leftover Easter Ham. It was the perfect way to use up a lot of the leftovers.
I served this as a complete meal though it would also be a perfect picnic or beach salad to be served alongside some mini salami cheddar sandwiches. Most of the ingredients are common ingredients most of us have on hand.
I shared information below on some of the other ingredients some of us may not be familiar with.
The Perfect Pinch
Many of us are familiar with this McCormick Perfect Pinch Suddenly Salad Seasoning. It is the KEY ingredient in my very popular Linguine Salad Recipe.
My family has been using this seasoning for decades. There was a rumor that they were discontinuing this product but I believe that is no longer true.
I find it in almost every store I go into. If you have a very hard time finding it, I have purchased a very large bottle of this on Amazon.
Salad Supreme is a delicious blend of seasonings like paprika, celery seed, poppy seeds, and Parmesan cheese. All of these pair perfectly with the ham and cheddar that are two of the main ingredients in this macaroni salad.
The seasoning adds a great balance of flavors.
Finely Diced For Fine Taste
I cannot emphasize enough to be sure to dice your celery and onions very finely when you make this salad. This is so that every bite is perfect, but you also want these small so that they make their own “juice” while sitting in the seasonings and herbs.
You do not want large chunks of onion when you bite into a macaroni salad.
It is also nice if you have the ham and cheddar diced into a very small dice. This salad is just lovely when you have tiny bites of salty ham and tiny bites of creamy sharp cheddar cheese throughout.
It will also pair well with the rounded shape of the cooked macaroni.
The Longer It Sits, The Better It Gets
You can most certainly make this salad and serve it immediately, but if you want to save time you can make this the night before and let it hang out in the fridge overnight.
I think it is excellent when it is served right away but it is out of this world when it sits for a few hours and all the flavors come together. Make it both ways and you be the judge.
Al Dente Or Bust
It is my advice to just undercook the pasta, especially if you are making this salad the night before. The dressing will continue to soften the macaroni and if you overcook it in the boiling process, the it may get gummy, so make sure this is cooked al dente for the perfect texture.
Ham and Cheddar Macaroni Salad Recipe
A salad for warmer weather and a great way to use up leftover ham. Ham and Cheddar Macaroni Salad made with mayonnaise, Salad Supreme seasoning, a splash of pickle juice and a few other common ingredients tastes better the longer it hangs out in your fridge. Perfect for sandwiches and all your backyard barbecues.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces of uncooked Macaroni Pasta
- 1 to 2 cups of Mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons of McCormick Perfect Pinch Salad Supreme Seasoning *pictured and linked in post before recipe card
- 2 teaspoons of Celery Seed
- 1/2 teaspoon of Black Pepper
- Salt to taste
- 2 teaspoons of Sugar
- 2 tablespoon of Pickle Juice
- 1/4 cup of finely diced Dill Pickles
- 1 to 2 cups of finely Diced Celery
- 1/2 to 1 cup of finely diced Red Onion
- 8 ounces of sharp Cheddar Cheese, cut into tiny cubes
- 1 to 2 cups of finely diced Ham
- Dried Parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Fill a pot with water and boil the macaroni according to package directions. I cook until al dente, as it will soften more as it sits in the dressing. When it is al dente, drain and rinse right away with cold water. Let cool completely.
- In a large bowl add your mayonnaise. Start with one cup, you can add more to make it as creamy as you prefer. Add the pickle juice and whisk until well combined.
- In a separate bowl add your diced pickles, finely diced celery, finely diced onions, celery seed, black pepper, a pinch of salt, Salad Supreme Seasoning, and sugar. Toss to coat and let this sit for 20 to 30 minutes. You can make this ahead of time and let this chill in the fridge for several hours.
- Finely dice the ham and the cheddar cheese.
- Add the drained, rinsed, and cooled pasta to the mayonnaise mixture and toss to coat. You can add more mayonnaise at this point if you want it creamier.
- Add the pickle, celery, and onion mixture to the bowl with the pasta and toss until well combined. Here again, you can add more mayonnaise if you want to.
- Toss in the finely diced ham and cheddar and stir until it is well combined. When ready to serve you can top with dried parsley.
- This can be combined and kept in the fridge overnight. It tastes better as it sits.