5 Tips For Turning Bland Macaroni Salad Into A Delicious Side Dish!
Macaroni salad is the stuff of summer picnics and potlucks, but it can also be a challenge to make.
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The truth is that there is no secret ingredient that guarantees this simple dish’s deliciousness.
But there are ways to help ensure your macaroni salad comes out tasting great every time.
What is macaroni salad?
Macaroni salad is a popular side dish in the United States and many Western countries.
The ingredients are cooked macaroni and mayonnaise, with the optional addition of chopped vegetables (including carrots, bell peppers, and celery), bacon or ham, and sometimes hard-boiled eggs.
Macaroni salad was invented in the early 20th century as an alternative to potato salad; it was called “macaroni” because, at that time, it contained only simple pasta pieces, not spiral shapes like today’s macaroni noodles have.
Although macaroni salad can be found on restaurant menus across America today, many people prefer to make their own from scratch to control what goes into their food without the hassle.
Why is my macaroni salad bland?
If your macaroni salad is flavorless, there’s a good chance that it’s just not seasoned right.
Most of the time, it is because you haven’t cooked the pasta in the saltwater solution so that the saltiness from the water can penetrate deeply into each pasta piece and gives it flavor.
However, throwing the bowl of macaroni salad away is unnecessary when it ends up bland.
There are actually various ways to save it and add some extra flavor to the dish.
So what exactly are these methods? Keep reading to learn more!
How to revive a tasteless macaroni salad?
Macaroni salad is one of the most beloved foods in the Southern United States.
It’s creamy, it’s soft with a little texture, and it’s packed with flavor.
But sometimes, that delicious bowl of macaroni salad just doesn’t taste right—it’s bland and boring!
What can you do to fix your tasteless macaroni salad?
Adding more flavor to your macaroni salad is unlike adding more spices to a soup or stew.
The salad is served without any liquid, and it is also done cooking.
This means if you are not careful when adding more ingredients to save a bland macaroni salad, you might end up with a gritty dish.
So here are some easy but effective ways to revive your macaroni salad:
Add milk and thin it down
Opting for sweetened milk can be a good way to add more flavor to your macaroni salad.
However, pouring milk directly into the salad can make it become soggy and watery.
Therefore, you will need to thin it down alone or while stirring the pasta, but be careful not to overcook the macaroni pasta, or it will be mushy.
Add spices and herbs
A tablespoon of paprika, ground black pepper on top, or some celery salt can add more flavor to your pasta salad.
Basil, parsley, chives, thyme, cilantro, mint, or dill are also some common spices and herbs that can make your bland macaroni salad more flavorful.
However, don’t overseason it, or you will end up with a too-pungent salad that doesn’t match the rest of the meal.
Add acidic ingredients
While your macaroni salad might not be as flavorful as a fresh batch of homemade, it can still be saved with a little help from some acidic ingredients.
Vinegar is a great solution for adding flavor and creating that tart bite that will wake up your tastebuds.
If you don’t want to use vinegar but something fresher and more natural, both lemons and limes are acidic enough to give your dish a big boost in taste, but they’re also mild enough to let other ingredients shine through too.
This means you can add just enough tartness without overpowering the rest of your dish!
Add bacon grits
If you have a bland macaroni salad and no time to make a new batch, try adding bacon grits.
Bacon is the perfect addition to any dish that needs some extra flavor.
And it is true to say that bacon makes everything better.
You can buy it pre-made from most grocery stores or make bacon at home, requiring more time and effort.
Add mayonnaise
One simple trick is to take a cue from mayonnaise! Mayonnaise is best known for adding creaminess and richness to many dishes (think potato salad or deviled eggs), but it also makes an excellent dressing for macaroni salad.
Mayonnaise can also be used as a substitute for eggs in recipes like pasta carbonara or egg drop soup; it adds moisture and richness without making your dish too heavy or greasy.
Finally, mayonnaise makes a good substitute for butter or cream if you’re trying to make low-fat versions of some classic recipes; try replacing half of the butter in mashed potatoes with mayo instead!
Cook the pasta in salt water
Cooking pasta in salt water will season it and make cooking easier.
When you add salt to a pot of boiling water, it dissolves into the water and doesn’t just sit on top of your noodles as plain old table salt would.
The amount of salt you should use depends on how salty you want your dish to be, but it is best to start with a small amount to get rid of a salty dish that is harder to be fixed than a bland one.
However, this way is more suitable if you want to prevent your next macaroni salad from being tasteless because if you keep boiling and cooking the cooked pasta, it will be overcooked and become mushy.
Conclusion
Now you know some simple tips that will save your bland macaroni pasta.
Hopefully, with these tricks on your hands, you will never end up with a tasteless salad, or if you do, don’t forget that numerous ways can help.
