Looking for the perfect side dish to take to your next summer picnic? This sweet and creamy macaroni salad recipe is a big hit with my extended family. Give it a try and let me know how you like it!

Sweet and Creamy Macaroni Salad

Ingredients:

3 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked

8 oz cheddar cheese cubed

1/2 cup green pepper, chopped

1/4 cup onion, chopped

15 oz Miracle Whip

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

3 Tablespoons mustard

2/3 cup white vinegar

Directions:

Cook the macaroni, drain it, and then rinse with cold water until the macaroni is cold. Add the chopped cheese, green pepper, and onion after the macaroni has cooled.

In a separate bowl, prepare the dressing by mixing together the Miracle Whip, sweetened condensed milk, mustard, and vinegar. The amounts of miracle whip and vinegar can be adjusted depending on your preference. The dressing should be sweet, yet tangy.

Add 1/2 to 3/4 of the dressing to the macaroni and blend well. I usually find the full amount of dressing to be a bit overpowering, so I don’t add all of it. However, it is a good idea to keep the extra dressing in case you have some macaroni salad leftover. The salad tends to dry out a bit and adding in the extra dressing livens it up the next day.

This recipe will easily serve 15+ people at a summer gathering. Cut the recipe in half if you are making it for a smaller crowd.

What is your favorite dish to take to summer picnics?