Coleslaw Macaroni Salad is the best spring and summer side. It’s creamy, crunchy, and packed with flavor from celery seeds, mustard, cabbage, and relish.
It’s hard to think of any better BBQ Side Dishes than Macaroni Salad and Coleslaw, but what if you put them together? This recipe is the perfect combination of the two with tender pasta and crunchy slaw all in a creamy mayo dressing.
COLESLAW MACARONI SALAD
This easy Coleslaw and Macorni Salad is perfect for your next cookout, potluck, or as the main dish for an easy lunch. It’s quick to make and full of delicious flavor and texture. You’re sure to love the rich dressing with mustard, relish and some sweetness. It makes the perfect side for BBQ Chicken or Grilled Pork Chops.
Coleslaw Macaroni Salad is one of the easiest dishes to make. Once you’ve cooked the macaroni, it’s a simple matter of whisking together the creamy dressing and then tossing it with the slaw and noodles. It only takes a few minutes to throw together, then just leave it in the fridge for a few hours to set. Simple as that!
If you’re making this dish for a party, I’d recommend making a little extra. You’ll be amazed at just how much gets eaten, and it’s great to have leftovers. Coleslaw Macaroni Salad keeps well in the fridge for a few days, so It’s nice to have for an easy lunch.
MORE MACARONI SALAD RECIPES
Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
Pimento Pasta Salad
BBQ Chicken Pasta Salad
Big Mac Pasta Salad
HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN COLESLAW CABBAGE MIX
It’s really easy to find premade coleslaw at any grocery store. So, if you want to skip shredding the cabbage, just grab a bag and toss it with your salad. However, if you have some cabbage you’re trying to use up, or just want a fresher coleslaw then you can make your own mix.
- What you’ll need: Green Cabbage, some red cabbage if desired, and a carrot.
- Shredding the cabbage: You can either shred your cabbage in a food processor or with a knife. Either way, start by cutting the head into fourths and then cutting out the core. If you’re using a food processor, just put 1/4 in at a time to shred. For the knife, slice each wedge horizontally into thin strips of cabbage. About 1 head should be plenty.
- Shredding the carrot: To shred the carrot either use a food processor or a grater. Once you’ve shredded the cabbage and carrots, mix them together to make your slaw.
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VARIATIONS ON COLESLAW MACARONI SALAD
- Pasta: You can exchange the elbow macaroni for any other short cut pasta that you prefer or happen to have in the pantry. Penne, rigatoni, orechiette, or orzo would all work nicely.
- Yogurt: For a lighter creamy slaw, exchange the mayonnaise for Greek yogurt. It has a slightly different taste, but the other flavorings are strong enough that shouldn’t make a huge difference. Greek yogurt does a good job keeping the same coleslaw texture you want, but it is much more healthy.
- Sweetener: We use 1/4 cup granulated sugar in this Coleslaw Macaroni Salad recipe for a nice sweet undertone. However, if you want a slightly healthier sweetener, try using honey. You’ll exchange it in equal parts so use 1/4 cup honey to replace the sugar and mix it in thoroughly with the other ingredients.
- Add-ins: For some flavor add-ins try mixing in dill, chives, or some lemon juice. If you want some extra vegetables, chop up cucumbers and broccoli to toss in. You could also add frozen peas to the mixture.
- Protein: To make this into a more filling main dish try mixing in some meat like tuna, chicken, or turkey.
Sweet Coleslaw
KFC Coleslaw (Copycat)
Popeye’s Cole Slaw (Copycat)
Easy Cole Slaw (Coleslaw)
HOW TO STORE COLESLAW MACARONI SALAD
- Serve: Don’t leave Coleslaw Macaroni Salad at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
- Store: Cover the salad or put it in an airtight container to store in the fridge. It should keep well for 3-4 days.
- Freeze: This recipe won’t freeze well because the mayonnaise and dressing will all separate. It’s much better to make a fresh batch.
Coleslaw Macaroni Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 2 tablespoons relish , sweet or dill is fine
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons celery seeds
- 1 pound elbow macaroni , cooked and drained
- 1/4 yellow onion , minced
- 16 ounces coleslaw cabbage mix
Instructions
- In a large bowl whisk together mayonnaise, mustard, relish, vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper, and celery seeds.
- Add pasta and cabbage mix.
- Toss well.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
