What To Eat With Macaroni Salad: 15 Best Side Dishes

Anyone can imagine their grilling season or summertime parties without classic or Italian macaroni salad anyway. But do you have any idea what to eat with macaroni salad that will make your holiday party more dazzling? 

We have gathered some special serving suggestions that most people love to serve even at their dinner table. 

Burgers, chicken, and corn will taste better with macaroni pasta salad. This recipe will be fair with a lot of different foods. As this one is very easy to make and can be served with so many dishes saving you time, you must enjoy it with your favorite dishes.

Below we have posted some most popular and best dishes ideas that you can serve with your classic or creamy macaroni pasta salad smoothly. We hope this list will inspire you to think of more creative items to make your parties more attractive. 

What Is Macaroni Salad?

What Is Macaroni Salad

When macaroni pasta comes from Italy, Macaroni salad is American in origin. Some original reports of traditional macaroni salad being published date back to 1914. This salad is one kind of pasta salad and then served cold that made with cooked macaroni using mayonnaise. It is served as a tasty dish with fried chicken or more stylish dishes.     

What Is The Dissimilarity Between Macaroni And Pasta Salad?

The key dissimilarity between both salads is mainly in the process of dressing. When the macaroni salad is used in mayonnaise, for pasta salad need to add vinaigrette. Macaroni salad is also one sort of pasta salad. In the USA, Macaroni Salad is prepared with elbow macaroni.

Recipes To Serve With Macaroni Salad

Think of something more delicious with barbecues, picnics, and fried chicken. Here are some mains appealing dishes to serve with this side dish.

1. Fried Chicken

fried chicken recipe

There is a delicious and rich batter of fried chicken that will be pairs of stunningly with macaroni and cheese.

 For this one, you need some chicken breast, all-purpose flour, buttermilk, baking powder, vegetable oil, black pepper, and salt. Simply coat your chicken breast slices in the flour mixture and set it in buttermilk for some time. Then coat them in the baking powder and fry in low-medium heat hot oil for crispy chicken. 

It is best to serve with delicious macaroni salad but don’t forget to serve it with ketchup!

2. Hot Dogs

Grilled hot dogs are the favorite summer menu for all ages. I also would like to choose any type of beef hot dog without traditional or turkey hot dogs, or grilled BBQ glazed smoked sausages.

3. Hamburger

We are talking about hamburgers and it is another great option to serve as a side dish with macaroni salad. You can serve a variety of burger toppings that you like and also you can customize them to your own taste.

4. Pulled Pork

What is the best recipe for pulled pork

How can you avoid pulled pork if you serve macaroni salad on your dinner table? But you should make it on a slow smoker or cooker and then dress it with your most preferred BBQ sauce. It will be a great combination with macaroni salad at any party.

5. Sandwiches

If you want to choose any easy picnic meal to eat with macaroni salad, sandwiches will be a perfect dish. There are various options for sandwiches like meat, chicken, pimento cheese, or other cheese sandwiches with mozzarella, tomato, and cucumber. You must add herbed cream cheese because most people like it more.

6. BBQ Ribs

BBQ ribs will blow your minds and make your dinner more enjoyable for you and your family if you add this recipe with macaroni salad. The savory meals will be a great combination for the macaroni salad bowl.

The savory BBQ ribs will offer a rich texture and flavor that will pair ideally with creamy or classic macaroni salad. 

7. Deviled Eggs

best deviled eggs recipe

A picnic without deviled eggs it’s boring, isn’t it? A rich and creamy starter should be listed in your favorite party list that will gobble up in a flash.

8. Coleslaw

When you serve a bowl of creamy macaroni salad in front of your family, you should consider balancing the richness. The coleslaw will help you make a correct pair as a macaroni salad side dish.

This dish is light and refreshing, which is the best of all, and easy to make. For it, you just gather only some ingredients that are available in your kitchen even right now. Match them: cabbage, carrot, onion, sugar, vinegar, and salt.

It will be the best option if you are seeking a healthy, refreshing, and lighter dish to serve with rich macaroni salad.

9. Baked Beans

Among the most wanted summer dishes, baked beans are another recipe. The rich and Smokey flavor with the appealing taste will be the perfect side dish with smooth and cool macaroni salad. You can add ground meat or bacon and upgraded calico beans to make this recipe. 

10. Apple Pie

best apple pie recipe

You must try a warm and mouth-watering apple pie if you are thinking of serving any dessert after a macaroni salad meal. It is the best addition to finishing a perfect party. We will help you to make it. Take some flour, sugar, cinnamon, melted butter, apple, and salt.

Just combine them very well and put them into a pie crust. Then bake it in an oven for 40 minutes. That’s it! This apple pie can be a perfect addition to a successful macaroni salad plate.

11. Corn on the cob

Boil or grill, corn on the cob will be a worthy and easy recipe to work well with the macaroni salad plate. The crispy crunchy corn is the best contrast with soft, smooth, and creamy macaroni salad.

12. BBQ Chicken Wings

BBQ chicken wing is a favorite dish and will be a great combination with spicy hot sauce. It is also a perfect side dish for our creamy macaroni salad.

13. Meatloaf

Our next dish to serve with macaroni salad is meatloaf, and we hope you also will choose it for your dinner table. You can get a flavorful, great meal with the comfort of knowing that it is very easy to make.

The combination of the meatloaf and macaroni salad is a well-done and excellent addition to any family party. If you are looking for a classic dish to add to your menu, there is nothing good more than it. 

14. Sloppy Joes

What are sloppy joes made of

Your meals should not look fancy for them to taste delicious and sloppy joes are ideal for what will go well with macaroni salad. This dish can move you back to 10 years old when your mom used to cook those for your family get-together party.

The combination of rich sloppy joes and creamy macaroni salad only can make your taste delightful and make you more interested in it. It will be a great selection when you want to gather a bunch of people. It is very simple to make in various versions and will ensure to please everyone’s hunger quickly. 

15. Chili

When searching for a savory meal that will bring out all the tasty flavors, there are no more options to think of than chili. It is very simple to make and needs only 30 minutes to cook. You also can store the leftover for the next time serving.

For this recipe, exactly what do you need to gather? You must collect ground beef, garlic, tomatoes, onion, beans, chili powder, salt, pepper, and cumin. Simply cook the meat with onion, garlic, and tomatoes, and then let it simmer for half an hour. 

That’s it, prepared a perfect chili recipe that will serve with your creamy macaroni salad. 

What Fruits Can You Serve With Macaroni Salad?

What Fruits Can You Serve With Macaroni Salad

With macaroni salad, you can choose sweet fruits to serve. You can add sliced watermelon or another fruit salad. Or you can serve only sliced apples or grapes that are all delicious and taste overall.

Now you may have the best idea of what to eat with macaroni salad. Therefore, here are some better ideas of fruits that you can toss with your macaroni salad and can customize the taste as your desire:

  • Peas
  • Feta cheese
  • Asparagus
  • Olives
  • Salami
  • Pepperoni
  • Wine vinegar
  • Fresh parsley
  • Pesto
  • Italian salad dressings
  • Pepperoncini
  • Vinaigrette
  • Shaved parmesan cheese

What Are You Thinking?

Finally, what are you thinking about what to eat with macaroni salad after reading this article? Make a shortlist, jump to cook the dishes, and serve with your prepared macaroni salad that will surprise others. We hope you will make your dinner or party more attractive and surprising by serving those dishes easily. If you have no idea, we hope the above side dish chart will be more helpful to you. Please don’t forget to share your experience with them below! 

About Travis K. Foster

Hi, this is Travis K. Foster speaking, a passionate and expert cook. This blog is to introduce you to the best kitchen gadgets. Here I inform you how I find out the best tools for my kitchen. And I review all products after good research to help you to get the best options with more kitchen tips. Stay on, Have fun! Learn more...

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