Pot Luck Macaroni Salad
Today is my birthday so I'm cooking one of my very favorite meals...baby back bar-b-qued ribs. I'm cooking them on my grill. I have this thing that is called a Chimney. You use it to start the charcoal without lighter fluid. It works every time and has the coals evenly white and ready to cook in a half an hour.
You don't taste the lighter fluid, just the charcoal. You take two sheets of newspaper, stuff it under the bottom of the large coffee can shaped thing. The coals are in the top part. You light the newspapers and within a half hour, you're ready to grill anything.
The nice thing about that is that you can have a second round of charcoal ready for cooking things that take a long time, like the ribs. The second can of charcoal is ashing over right now. I had the ribs bone side down when the coals were hot, then meat side down when they weren't so hot. Then, I'll cook them bone side down again when I put the second can of charcoal in the grill. Of course, when the coals cool down some, I'll cook them meat side down again for a while.
Those things only cost about 10-20 bucks and you never have to buy lighter fluid again.
Anyway, one of the things that I'm serving with the ribs is a macaroni salad with tuna. It's an easy, very good salad to have anytime you'd like a pasta salad to eat or to take to a potluck dinner. Everyone loves it when I bring it to any event and I always like to bring it because I love to hear people tell me what a good cook I am. I've made the recipe about as small as you can make it. It makes a good size serving bowl full and would probably serve 6 or more.
Boil 8 ounces of elbow macaroni. You can rinse in cold water for immediate use.
Chop 1/4 to 1/3 cup each of: onions-I use both yellow onions AND scallions (1/4 cup of each)
green pepper-You can always use red or yellow, I usually use green and tonight I used green because it was on sale, 2 for $1.00.
celery
1 teaspoonful of vinegar...whatever type you prefer
One teaspoonful each of salt and pepper
One 6 ounce can of tuna in water, not in oil
One tablespoonful of mustard, I use yellow
Mix all of that together. I mush up the tuna separately before I put it in the mixing bowl so the salad doesn't have big hunks of tuna. Then, I add Miracle Whip (actually the store equivalent, it works just as well), 1/4 cup at a time, stirring well each time after adding the Miracle Whip. After you have at least 1/2 cup of Miracle Whip in the salad, start tasting it after each 1/4 cup that you put in. Stop adding it when the salad is as moist as you like it. I use about 1 1/2 cup in my salad.
Some people prefer mayonnaise to the salad dressing, but I can't stand by the salad if you use mayonnaise. I'm sure it will be good, but I can't guarantee as many compliments at the church pot-luck dinner as you'll get if you make it exactly like I do. You can also add tomatoes if you like, I do it occasionally. To top the salad off, I slice up 3 heard boiled eggs and lay the slices all around the perimeter of the salad and then I sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of bacon bits over the middle, not on the eggs slices. The toppings are all optional, I didn't put any on my salad tonight because I'm putting most of my effort into the ribs which are still slowly cooking. Oh, by the way, this salad has to be refrigerated, of course.
PS Hi! I just went to Florida and while I was there, my father bought a can of crab meat (claw) and asked me to make it for dinner. I didn't know what to do with it so I decided to make this salad and use the crab meat instead of tuna...it was great.
You don't taste the lighter fluid, just the charcoal. You take two sheets of newspaper, stuff it under the bottom of the large coffee can shaped thing. The coals are in the top part. You light the newspapers and within a half hour, you're ready to grill anything.
The nice thing about that is that you can have a second round of charcoal ready for cooking things that take a long time, like the ribs. The second can of charcoal is ashing over right now. I had the ribs bone side down when the coals were hot, then meat side down when they weren't so hot. Then, I'll cook them bone side down again when I put the second can of charcoal in the grill. Of course, when the coals cool down some, I'll cook them meat side down again for a while.
Those things only cost about 10-20 bucks and you never have to buy lighter fluid again.
Anyway, one of the things that I'm serving with the ribs is a macaroni salad with tuna. It's an easy, very good salad to have anytime you'd like a pasta salad to eat or to take to a potluck dinner. Everyone loves it when I bring it to any event and I always like to bring it because I love to hear people tell me what a good cook I am. I've made the recipe about as small as you can make it. It makes a good size serving bowl full and would probably serve 6 or more.
Boil 8 ounces of elbow macaroni. You can rinse in cold water for immediate use.
Chop 1/4 to 1/3 cup each of: onions-I use both yellow onions AND scallions (1/4 cup of each)
green pepper-You can always use red or yellow, I usually use green and tonight I used green because it was on sale, 2 for $1.00.
celery
1 teaspoonful of vinegar...whatever type you prefer
One teaspoonful each of salt and pepper
One 6 ounce can of tuna in water, not in oil
One tablespoonful of mustard, I use yellow
Mix all of that together. I mush up the tuna separately before I put it in the mixing bowl so the salad doesn't have big hunks of tuna. Then, I add Miracle Whip (actually the store equivalent, it works just as well), 1/4 cup at a time, stirring well each time after adding the Miracle Whip. After you have at least 1/2 cup of Miracle Whip in the salad, start tasting it after each 1/4 cup that you put in. Stop adding it when the salad is as moist as you like it. I use about 1 1/2 cup in my salad.
Some people prefer mayonnaise to the salad dressing, but I can't stand by the salad if you use mayonnaise. I'm sure it will be good, but I can't guarantee as many compliments at the church pot-luck dinner as you'll get if you make it exactly like I do. You can also add tomatoes if you like, I do it occasionally. To top the salad off, I slice up 3 heard boiled eggs and lay the slices all around the perimeter of the salad and then I sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of bacon bits over the middle, not on the eggs slices. The toppings are all optional, I didn't put any on my salad tonight because I'm putting most of my effort into the ribs which are still slowly cooking. Oh, by the way, this salad has to be refrigerated, of course.
PS Hi! I just went to Florida and while I was there, my father bought a can of crab meat (claw) and asked me to make it for dinner. I didn't know what to do with it so I decided to make this salad and use the crab meat instead of tuna...it was great.
posted by Meg Kelso at
9:45 PM
5 Comments:
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
By
Cadley Dad, at 2:51 PM
Hi Meg,
here's one of my favourites.
I won't be specific with quantities, just use what you think.
Boil some pasta twists up and in another pan some new potatoes, canned if available.
In a fying pan, add some olive oil, chopped celery, scallions (we call them spring onions), red pepper slices. Fry till cooked.
Drain a can of Tuna or two, mix with mayonnaise.
When the pasta and potatoes are cooked, drain and mix with the scallions, celery and pepper slices.
Serve and add a dollop of tuna and mayonnaise on top.
By
Cadley Dad, at 2:51 PM
A man recipe! Cool! I have to try thisd one when I run out of the salad that I already made. It does sound good, different, but good! Thanks for sending me that! I'll out in in the men's collection if I ever get enough men to send me any recipes!
Thanks again,
Meg
By
Meg Kelso, at 7:30 AM
Hi Meg,
here's another for the kids,
they call it cowboy pie,
fried sausages, baked beans in a caserole dish with mashed potatoe and grated cheese on top.
How easy is that, but it's one of there favourites.
By
Cadley Dad, at 3:55 PM
I liked it.
Bathmate
By
bathmate, at 10:21 AM
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