Description

This Cheddar Sour Cream Macaroni Salad is a creamy, flavorful side dish perfect for picnics, barbecues, or potlucks. It combines tender ziti pasta with crisp vegetables, sharp cheddar cheese, and a tangy dressing made from sour cream and mayonnaise, seasoned with celery salt and celery seed for an extra burst of flavor. Chilling the salad allows the flavors to meld beautifully, making it a refreshing and satisfying addition to any meal.

Ingredients

Scale

Pasta

1 lb Ziti Pasta

Dressing

1.5 cups Mayonnaise
1/4 cup Sour Cream
2 teaspoons White Sugar

Vegetables

1 Red Bell Pepper
1 medium Red Onion
1 large Carrot
2 stems Celery

Cheese & Seasonings

1 lb Cheddar Cheese
Celery Salt for seasoning (to taste)
Celery Seed for seasoning (to taste)

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Instructions

Cook the Pasta: Cook the ziti pasta according to package directions until al dente. Once cooked, rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process and drain well.
Prepare the Vegetables: Finely chop the red bell pepper, red onion, and celery. Grate the large carrot. Combine all the chopped vegetables in a large mixing bowl and season with celery salt and celery seed to taste.
Make the Dressing: In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream, mayonnaise, and white sugar until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
Combine Dressing and Vegetables: Pour the dressing over the vegetable mixture and toss thoroughly to ensure all vegetables are evenly coated.
Add Pasta and Cheese: Add the cooked and drained pasta to the vegetable dressing mixture. Gently fold in the diced cheddar cheese, making sure the cheese is evenly distributed without breaking it down.
Chill before Serving: Cover the salad and chill it in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 hours. This allows the flavors to meld together perfectly, enhancing the taste of the macaroni salad.

Notes

For best flavor, allow the salad to chill for at least 4 hours before serving.
If preferred, substitute ziti with elbow macaroni or another pasta shape that holds dressing well.
Adjust celery salt and celery seed quantities to your taste preference.
The salad can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Make sure to rinse the pasta with cold water thoroughly to prevent it from sticking and becoming mushy.