Sunday Supper - Macaroni Salad

With the exception of how to properly* cook a steak and bacon, my husband and I usually agree on how to prepare food.  There are a few things that one of us won't eat that the other loves, but as far as agreeing on how a dish should be prepared, we're normally in agreement.  Except for macaroni salad.

Mike comes from a heavily vinegared, onioned, green peppered and cheesed family.  My family's recipe was a bit more basic.  Macaroni, Hellman's mayo, celery, salt and pepper and done.  It has taken us 25 years of marriage to figure out an agreeable compromise.

photo courtesy of peasandcrayons.com

Compromised Macaroni Salad

cooked and cooled macaroni (We usually cook the whole box.)
1 or 2 tomatoes, chopped
1 - 4 stalks celery (depending on availability) chopped
1/2 - 1 small green pepper, diced
0 - 1/2 of a small onion, diced  (The amount depends on if Mike is watching me cook or not.)
1 cucumber, partially peeled then diced

Dressing:
1 cup of Hellman's mayonnaise
1 TBS Ketchup
0 - 2 tsp apple cider vinegar (Again, less if Mike isn't watching.)
1/4 tsp Worcestershire
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 - 1/2 tsp salt
1/8 - 1/4 tsp pepper
(Note:  If Mike isn't home and there's no chance I'll get caught doing it, I leave out the vinegar, Worcestershire & sugar and add in a tablespoon or two of dry Ranch dressing mix.  He always likes it when I make it this way but he throws a massive fit if he catches me doing it.)

Mix all the "chunky" ingredients together.  Pour the dressing over top and stir.  Refrigerate for an hour or more before eating.



*If you were wondering, steak should be rare enough to practically still moo while bacon should be cooked until it is blackened and unrecognizable.  Mike's preference for burnt steak and raw bacon is disgusting!