Mom’s Macaroni Salad

I am not typically a fan of macaroni salad.. unless it is my Mom’s. I know the picture above shows this salad made with the little shells.. macaroni or shells, it all tastes the same. My family for some reason prefers shells to macaroni so that’s what we did. We would always have this at family picnics or trips to the lake. I feel like every time we had it, there were different mix-ins depending on what she had on hand. A few things were always the same though: cheese, ham, and peas
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Ingredients

• 1 pkg. (1 lb) pkg. macaroni (or shells)
• 1 1/2 c. mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp. mustard
• 1/4 c. sour cream
• 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt (or to taste)
• ground black pepper (to taste)
• 1 c. ham steak, cut into small cubes
• 1 c. cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes
• 2/3 c. frozen peas, thawed
• 2-3 carrots, shredded
Optional mix-ins:
• cucumber, peeled and diced
• dill pickles, chopped
• tomato, diced
• red bell pepper, diced
• celery, chopped
• 
  

Instructions

• Prepare macaroni to al dente according to package directions. After macaroni is cooked, drain and rinse in cold water. Once macaroni has cooled down, drain well.
• In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine mayonnaise, mustard, sour cream, apple cider vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper.
• In a large bowl toss macaroni with ham, cheese, peas, carrots, and other mix-ins.
• Fold in mayonnaise mixture until pasta is well coated.
• Cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit overnight.
• If the salad seems a little dry after setting up overnight, add some milk a little bit at a time until salad becomes nice and creamy again. 

source macaroni-

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