Deli Style Macaroni Salad

Prepared with red and green bell peppers, celery, and green onions, this Deli Style Macaroni Salad is everything you want in a summer side and more! This reminds me so much of the macaroni salad sold at Reddi Chef. Its creamy texture is well balanced in terms of sweetness and acidity. You have got to try this one!

Feeling a little nostalgic?  Deli Style Macaroni Salad is just the thing I need from time to time to make me feel better.  As soon as I taste just one heaping fork full of this pasta salad, my senses are immediately flooded with memories of when life was simple and carefree.

Am I the only one that regularly associates the look and taste of food with memories?  This macaroni salad reminds me of growing up in Stayner, Ontario. We lived across the street from an IGA that had a deli counter. With two working parents, preparing dinner often fell on my shoulders. If memory serves me correctly, my sister – who is older than me and should have taken on dinner duty – was in grade 11 or 12 at the time so she was in school during the day and would sleep in the evenings because she worked the night shift at Mister C’s Coffee & Donuts. My younger brother wasn’t domestic at all, so the job was mine.

I would bake chicken legs and thighs, make a roast beef, or simply throw some pork chops on the grill. Maybe I would pair it with rice or fries. Sometimes, I would use those store-bought boxes and packets of potatoes or noodles to help things along. And, many times, I would pick up coleslaw or a macaroni salad from IGA or Reddi Chef.

REDDI CHEF

Way, way back in the mid-90s, I used to live with my family in a very small town in Northern Ontario called Stayner.  The population of this town was 3,500.  There wasn’t much to do, which was great, because we were forced to be really creative to keep ourselves busy.  But, it was also a bad thing, because with very little to do, it was easier to get into trouble.

One of my fondest food memories, other than the waffle fries at Burger Queen (yes, queen not king!) that were often given to us kids for free if we ran an errand or two for the owners, was the potato wedges at Reddi Chef.  (I just Googled it to see if it still exists.  Same location, new name.  The new sign says formerly Reddi Chef! I’d give anything to go back there just one more time!)

At Reddi Chef, I could buy a box of potato wedges for $2.  They were crispy and salty and peppery.  And, if I happened to have an extra fifty cents, they would smother the potato wedges in a thick, beef gravy.  I cannot count how many times I would pick up a box of potato wedges and a container of macaroni salad on my way home from school so that I would not have to make sides for mom and dads dinner!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Pasta – You can use any short pasta, like macaroni, rotini, penne, etc.
• Bell Peppers – You can use any colour. I choose red and green for more colour.
• Celery – I know many people who don’t care for celery in pasta salad. If this is you, you can leave it out.
• Green Onions – These add freshness, colour, and lots of flavour.
• Mayonnaise – You can use any mayonnaise, even the fat free stuff!
• Sugar – For more sweetness.
• White Vinegar
• Water
• Vegetable Oil
• Salt & Ground Black Pepper

HOW TO MAKE DELI STYLE MACARONI SALAD

Placed the cooked, cooled macaroni, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, celery, and green onions into a large mixing bowl and set aside. In a smaller bowl, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients until combined. Pour the dressing into the bowl with the macaroni and vegetables. Stir well to incorporate. Transfer to a glass bowl with a tight fitting lid. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.

COOKING PASTA

Let me talk to you a bit about how to get the pasta just right without overcooking it. Someone once told me that I prepare pasta like an old Italian grandma. That has stuck with me for so many years. You see, Dear Reader, I’m far from perfect, but cooking pasta is one thing I can certainly do perfectly. I don’t care what the back of the pasta package says, cook your pasta according to taste and texture. Ignore everything else. Here are my 4 steadfast rules:

Rule #1: Say no to oil!

Do you add oil to your pasta water before adding the pasta? Stop that right now! I don’t know who’s responsible for that, but I have seen some TV chefs do it! If you add oil to your pasta water, do you know what happens when you put the sauce on it? The sauce won’t stick as well as it should. It will slide off, because the oil prevents it from sticking.

Rule #2: Add extra salt!

Salt the water. I used to be so afraid of salting pasta water, because I thought it would be too salty to eat. Salting the water, before you add the pasta, is the only chance you get to season that pasta. Let the water come to full boil before adding your salt. The water should taste like the ocean. Don’t dump the salt in; stir it in. Preventing the salt from settling at the bottom of your pot will keep your pot looking shiny and new. If you have pots with what looks like a tarnished or unpolished interior bottom, it’s because salt sat at the bottom of your pot.

Rule #3: Get that pasta moving about immediately!

Stir the pasta for a good minute when you first add it to the water. This helps to wash off some of the starch and prevents the pasta from sticking to the pot and to itself. I always pull out a piece of pasta 4 minutes before the package says it will be ready. Taste it. Chew it. It shouldn’t be completely soft. If it has a bit of bite left in the center, get it out of the water and drain it immediately. You can thank me later!

Rule #4: Do not rinse!

So many of us are tempting to rinse pasta under running water after it’s been drained. I think it comes from the notion that it gets rid of starch. Well, it does in a way. But, when pasta begins to cool off and dry, it becomes a little sticky. That stickiness soaks up pasta sauce, so don’t flush it out! A quick drain is all you need. Get the pasta into a bowl or onto a plate. Get the sauce on it and serve it up. The only exception to this is when you are preparing pasta salad. Pasta salad is meant to be served cold, so rinse the pasta well under cold running water.

STORING AND REFRIGERATION

It’s important to let Deli Style Macaroni Salad chill in the fridge for at least four hours. This will allow the ingredients time to hang out and get to know each other! The vegetables and pasta will absorb some of the sauce and its flavour. The sugar in the sauce will sweeten the other ingredients. And, the vinegar is working its magic. There are a lot of things happening in that bowl, aren’t there!?

After four hours, the salad is ready to serve. Toss it again before plating just to freshen everything up. The salad does tend to settle a little bit. You can safely store this salad in your fridge for up to three days. Be sure to keep the salad covered at all times.

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down to follow me and never miss another recipe!