It just wouldn't be a family party without Mae's Macaroni Salad.
My mother-in-law's famous (in our family anyways) macaroni salad was, and still is, present at every party. Birthdays and holidays...if Mae was in attendance, so was her pasta.
Mae has been gone twenty years now, but her salad lives on.
I've continued the family tradition, serving this dish at every cookout and family gathering.
Mae's Macaroni Salad
16 ounces elbow macaroni
1 chopped onion
3 chopped celery stalks
1 carrot
3 hard boiled eggs
1/3 cup of sweet relish
1/4 cup of white vinegar
6-7 heaping tablespoons mayonnaise
Boil the pasta until tender. Drain in strainer and set aside to cool.
Chop the onion and celery and add to a large bowl. Mae was a stickler on chopping as fine as possible. Mince is probably a better choice of words.
Peel and then grate carrot and add to the bowl. Again...finely grated.
Peel and chop the eggs. Mash them with a fork. Just like the veggies, the egg should be mashed into dust.
Add eggs to bowl.
Add the relish.
Add the pasta to bowl and sprinkle the white vinegar over the entire salad.
Add the mayonnaise and mix it all together.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Place the salad in a serving bowl and lightly sprinkle the top with paprika for color.
Add a slice or two of red or green pepper on top as a decorative touch.
I substituted Gluten Free pasta, Tinkyada Brown Rice Pasta, this time and it worked out great.
Yes, that is Mae's original crystal dish that she always used.
I think she would be very happy knowing her recipe is being carried on and that a whole new generation is enjoying it!
I hope this recipe continues to be passed down through the generations long after I'm gone too.
Written for: July ActiveRain Challenge Savory Stories
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