American Macaroni Salad with Tuna

American Macaroni Salad with Tuna

It is Memorial Day and our dear friends invited us to join them for great food and better conversation!  There are so many ways to make macaroni salad, but on Memorial day, my goal was to make an "All American" macaroni salad.  I think you will find this recipe very easy and very tasty!!!

2 cups (dry) of your favorite small pasta, cooked/rinsed/cooled

3 hardboiled eggs

2/3 cup celery, diced (include the leaves)

2/3 cup carrots, diced

1/3 cup sweet onion, diced

1/3 cup dill pickle, diced

1 5 oz. can of solid albacore tuna, drained and broken up

2/3 cup mayonnaise *I like Hellmans

1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

1 tsp. garlic powder

Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

Eggs:

Start your hardboiled eggs.  I put three eggs in cold water, covered by one inch.  Once the water boiled, I removed from the burner and kept covered for 10 minutes.  Run under cold water until cool, cover with cold water and keep in fridge until ready to use.

Pasta:

Cook your pasta according to package direction in salted water.  Drain and rinse with cold water.  Set aside.

Chop and mix your celery, carrots, onion, and pickle.  (I do not peel my carrots; I only wash them and trim off the tough ends.)

Drain and using a fork, break up your tuna.  Add to vegetable mixture. 

Add mayonnaise, mustard and garlic powder.

Add pasta.  I used Barilla whole wheat small shells.

Mix together gently using a spatula. 

Mix in Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper, to taste.

Top with peeled and sliced hardboiled eggs.  Sprinkle with paprika or black pepper.

Chill until ready to serve.