Learn how to make the Tuna Macaroni Salad now at the comfort of your home! This is a simple dish you can make for dinner, for an evening snack, or even for potluck celebrations.
In a matter of a few minutes, you will be ready with a dish that’s so simple but isn’t underwhelming and is well-presentable.
What is Tuna Macaroni Salad?
The tuna macaroni salad is a quick dish you can make if you want something relatively easy to do for dinner or for a snack. This salad is made of elbow macaroni pasta, and partnered mainly with canned tuna, garnished with onions, celery, sweet pickle relish, and cheddar cheese.
The good thing about this dish is that it doesn’t need to be cooked, and you don’t need it to be eaten hot, and you can eat it anytime you want.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Canned Tuna
Canned tuna consists of tuna meat made in the form of ‘flakes’ usually soaked in vegetable oil or water. The industry is said to have quickly grown as a substitute for canned sardines back in the day.
It became common here in the Philippines, mainly because there is also an abundance of tuna near our oceans. This canned food is easily available and you can find it almost everywhere you go. From your local sari-sari stores, to large supermarkets, you’ll be sure to find one of these.
Macaroni
You can use any macaroni pasta available in your area. You can try ‘elbow macaroni’ or ‘macaroni salad’ pasta.
Cheese
We will be using regular processed cheddar cheese like for extra flavor and as a binder. You can use brands like Eden, Kraft, Danes, Ques-O, Cheezee, and the likes.
Aside from these, we will also be using other regular pantry ingredients like onions, pickles, mayonnaise, salt, black pepper, and celery. If you are filling up your pantry, here’s a handy shopping guide:
Equipment You’ll Need
- Cooking Pot- This dish mostly involves mixing ingredients together. We don’t have to cook anything except for the macaroni pasta. For this, we will need any cooking pot or casserole and cook according to package instructions.
In need of kitchen tools and equipment? Read this before you buy:
How to Make Tuna Macaroni Salad
Making the tuna macaroni salad is really easy to do. It doesn’t seem like a task at all, and it is quite very comforting to do. This is a good idea to make with your family during the weekends as a form of bonding time, and the good part is you will be treated with a very enjoyable snack or dinner afterwards.
So to start with this, the first thing you will need to do is to cook the elbow macaroni. This is probably the most that you will do regarding this recipe because it’s the only thing that you will cook. Just follow the instructions listed in the package of the macaroni you bought.
The next part would be to just prepare your other ingredients. This means slicing and chopping away. And then you will mix all of the ingredients together. That’s it! You have the option to chill the salad in the refrigerator first. But if you’re feeling hungry and want to munch it right away, that’s fine, too.
Cooking Tips
- If you decide to chill the salad and have enough extra time before serving it, you can take it out 10 minutes before to take some of the chill off. This way, you can check if the salad seems to be too dry. In case this happens, you can stir in about 2 tablespoons of milk to moisten the salad, and it will still be tasty.
- In case you have leftover meat such as chicken, ham, or even fish meat like salmon or milkfish, you can replace one can of tuna and use that instead. As long as the ingredients taste nice when partnered with the mayonnaise dressing, it will be a fine salad.
- The perfect pasta to use for this recipe is the elbow macaroni, because the ingredients won’t fall apart and will hold nicely together when mixed up, and it is one of the most common types of pastas used here in the country. But, you can still try and use other types of pasta depending on what you want. Some suggestions for good alternative pastas would be shell pasta, fusilli, rotini, or penne.
This recipe also includes a video below. You can also visit our Youtube Channel for more recipes!
How To Serve and Store Tuna Macaroni Salad
Tuna macaroni salad is usually served chilled but you can also wait it out to room temperature if you want it warmer. It usually served among other dishes during events and occasion or have it alone during snack time.
In case you are storing it in the refrigerator, you may need to fold in additional mayonnaise in case it already dried up.
Other Related Recipes
- Simple Filipino Chicken Macaroni Salad Recipe
- Crunchy Macaroni Chicharon Recipe
- Canned Tuna Nuggets Recipe
For a quick reference about this recipe, see the recipe table below:
Tuna Macaroni Salad Recipe
Equipment
- Cooking Pot
Ingredients
- 400 grams (14 oz) elbow macaroni, any brand
- ½ cup (40 g or 1.4 oz) shredded cheese, any brand like Eden, Ques-O or Cheezee
- 2 tbsp (30 g or 1.05 oz) sweet pickle relish
- 1 pc medium-sized chopped onion
- 2 pcs small cans (12 oz or 56 g each) canned tuna flakes in oil, any brand
- 1 ½ cup (345 g or 12 oz) mayonnaise, (better if you can use real mayonnaise)
- 2 stalks chopped celery
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cook the macaroni according to package instructions. Set aside and allow to cool.
- In a large bowl, add in the cooked macaroni, tuna, onions, celery, mayonnaise, sweet pickle relish, and cheese. Mix until well-incorporated. Season with salt and pepper.
- Transfer to a serving plate or serving tray, or place in a container and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Serve and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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