Macaroni Salad

I have to say that one of my favorite things about summer is the food.  Everything seems to taste better when it's grilled, there's so much fresh and wonderful produce, and there are so many different salads that can be made.  Macaroni salad has always been one of my favorite side dishes for a nice summer meal.  I've always preferred it to potato salad (don't get me wrong, I definitely love me a good potato salad too!) and I love that there are so many different variations of it.  This recipe is really light on the mayo but has a ton of flavor so you can enjoy it without feeling weighed down after your meal. 

Macaroni Salad

1 pound elbow macaroni, cooked, drained and cooled
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 chopped bell pepper, seeded (you can use a combination of colors if you want)
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup sliced pimento stuffed green olives
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons yellow mustard
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup sweet pickle relish
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon celery seed

Combine macaroni, celery, onions, bell pepper and olives together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, relish, sugar, salt, pepper and celery seed until well combined.

Stir dressing into the macaroni mixture. Serve chilled.

Serves 8-10.

Slightly adapted from http://iwasborntocook.blogspot.com/