Recipes, Side Dishes, Yum-Yum

BLT Macaroni Salad Recipe

By Amy Johnson

Randy is here again today to talk about one of his new favorite dishes, this BLT Macaroni Salad Recipe that I regularly make for picnics and potlucks. There are a few macaroni salad recipes we like, but when bacon, baby spinach, and tomatoes get together with pasta something special happens. I’ll let Randy tell you more about it. Take it away Randy!

BLT Macaroni Salad

When I think of macaroni salad I think of eating outdoors. I normally enjoy macaroni salad at picnics or tailgate parties or church luncheons. It’s easy to make a lot of it at one time, it goes with many different main dishes, it travels well and it’s so familiar that even picky eaters will scarf it down. What’s more, if you make extra, macaroni salad makes for great leftovers right out of the fridge.

This BLT Macaroni Salad Recipe is everything that’s great about mac salad and more. It’s satisfying but not too rich and it can be a meal in itself. The vegetables are pretty in there but they aren’t just for show. The tomatoes and the greens just taste great together and they are the perfect compliment to the crispy bacon. There’s a reason BLT sandwiches are so popular.

I am not always the most polite person around large outdoor spreads of food. That’s because outdoor food spreads involve fried chicken and there’s almost never enough fried chicken to go around. I do what it takes to make sure I get some prime fried chicken pieces.

Sometimes I begin conversations with the person who is closest to the chicken platter right before the dinner bell rings just to claim the best real estate. Or, before the meal when no one is looking I conceal one of the chicken plates with a dishtowel. One time I brought a casserole lid from home labeled ‘pickled sardines’ that I used to cover the best looking fried chicken plate.

easy macaroni salad recipe

The best thing about Amy’s BLT Macaroni Salad Recipe is I don’t need to bully my way to the chicken to eat well. If I get boxed out and all the legs and wings are gone before I get there I can still eat something delicious and satisfying. And I can look down my nose at those fried chicken bullies.

macaroni with bacon

Thanks, Randy! Lesson of the day: Don’t get between Randy and the fried chicken unless you have a batch of BLT Macaroni Salad as a backup. Enjoy!

Print Recipe

BLT Macaroni Salad Recipe

Yield: 16

Prep Time:15

Cook Time:15

Total Time:30

A tasty macaroni salad with all the flavors of a BLT.

Ingredients:

  • 16 ounces elbow macaroni, uncooked
  • 3/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
  • 8 pieces of bacon, crumbled
  • 1 cup seeded and diced tomato
  • 1 cup roughly chopped baby spinach

Directions:

  1. Cook macaroni according to package instructions. Drain.
  2. Mix together remaining ingredients, and toss with macaroni until combined.
  3. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Originally published September 26, 2014.

Recipes, Side Dishes, Yum-Yum
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