How To Make The Ultimate Macaroni Salad

To me Macaroni Salad is a comfort food, and it brings back fond summertime memories from my childhood. It was always a treat when mom made Macaroni Salad, as she said it was time consuming to make. And she only made it in the summer, because she said it was a summertime salad. To me anytime of the year is a good time to make a salad. With all the ingredients in this salad it is a meal in itself an so filling.

Ingredients:

** 1 pound box elbow macaroni

** 1 green bell pepper, red if you like. I switch up, depending on my mood

** 1 red onion, diced

*** 8 hard boiled eggs, to be smashed up

** 2 cans of tuna fish, drained

** 1 can black olives

** 1 container cherry tomatoes, cut in half

** 1 cuke, sliced

** 1 celery stalk, diced,

** Sharp cheese, cubed, about 1 cup

** Mayonnaise (please don't use a lite or low fat Mayonnaise) It ruins the flavor.

Start by boiling the eggs, cool them, peel and mash them up. Meantime in a good sized pot boil the water till boiling, add the elbow macaroni, stirring often. We don't want it to stick and burn in the bottom of the pot. Cook until just a little past AL Dente, drain in a strainer, and run cold water over the macaroni until it seems cool, let it sit in the strainer to dry. This stops the cooking of the macaroni. Sorry but I hate mussy macaroni. Okay so get all the veggies chopped and ready to go. Next I like to add the eggs and tuna fish to the macaroni and mix with the mayonnaise, this way it is mixed well, then add the veggies, olives and cheese, then add as much mayonnaise as needed to make it as creamy as possible, then stir really good. Make sure to use plenty of mayo, as you don't want a dry salad. Also remember after it has sat in the fridge the salad will absorb the mayo, so that is why you need to use enough mayo, to keep it moist. Salad always taste better the next day, as all the ingredients have a chance to meld together. This Macaroni salad is good for up to 4 days in the fridge. This salad is good for any occasion! Keep in mind after adding all the ingredients the salad will be doubled, so expect leftovers.