Is tuna macaroni salad ever a bad idea???
The answer to that is no.
Tuna macaroni salad is one of those cold pasta salads that will never be made the exact same way no matter who makes it and that's the best part of this dish that has existed for years. In my tuna macaroni salad however, of course I had to do it the Christopher way and that's with the addition of these
pickled green tomatoes.
I love how the pickled tomatoes add a crunch outside of the norm and some pickle like flavor outside of the relish. Also I highly recommend switching the type of pasta noodle that you use. I went with medium pasta shells to not only try something new but to also make sure all that creamy mayo and tuna get inside the shells in every bite.
Now for the cheddar cheese??? Wow adding in small cubes of cheddar cheese really just adds something that you didn't even know you needed and I bet you once you try it this way, you will notice not having the cheese moving forward.
While warm weather will start to wind down, tuna macaroni salad is an all year vibe and I hope you add this to your fabulous recipe collection.
FAB RECIPE: TUNA MACARONI SALAD
Let's grab the ingredient's.
Editor's Note: Adding small cubes of cheddar cheese to your tuna macaroni salad just adds a little jena say qua !
- 1 box of medium shells pasta, cooked and cooled
- 3 cans of albacore tuna in vegetable oil, drained and flaked
- 1 whole shallot, minced
- 2 pickled green tomatoes, chopped
- 3T. pickled green tomato liquid
- 5 - 9 minute boiled eggs, chopped
- 2T. mustard, i used dijon
- 3T. sweet relish
- mayo, your desired brand - i like Hellman's
- kewpie mayo, optional
- onion powder
- garlic powder
- ground black pepper
- salt, to taste
- cheddar cheese, cut in small cubes - optional but so worth it
Next Steps: Let's Bring It All Together
- Cook your pasta shells according to the instructions on the box or as desired.
- Drain majority of the oil from the canned tuna leaving at least a teaspoon of oil in each can.
- Boil eggs for 9 minutes and once 9 minutes is up, place eggs in ice cold water and set aside. Once the eggs are cooled, peel and chop them.
- In a large bowl, mix mayo's, mustard, minced shallots, chopped pickled green tomatoes, and chopped eggs.
- Next add in cooked pasta shells and all of the flaked tuna and mix well.
- Add in sweet relish, the liquid from the pickled tomatoes and season to your liking with ground black pepper / onion powder / garlic powder and salt.
- Adjust consistency to mayo's to your liking, add in cubed cheddar cheese if using and chill.
- Eat fabulously!
