My mom's Macaroni Salad.....kinda

Ok, ok, so I have made fun of my mom and her cooking plenty of times.  She always made lots of good things.  Seriously she did.  Roast beef jerky every Sunday to the point I can't stomach it as an adult.  Who doesn't love that?  Sorry mom, just kidding.  Kinda.  She did make meatballs the size of your fist, that were awesome. She also made fried chicken that rivals the best ever made and this simple macaroni salad that I just love. 

 

I have admittedly changed a couple of small things.  My husband is making me confess one of the changes that never happened.  I cooked 3 extremely crispy pieces of bacon, to, ya know...crumble on top.  But  *insert almost incoherent mumbling*..I accidentally ate them.  WHAT????  It WAS an accident.  He said they accidentally must have fallen in my mouth and then had some other completely inappropriate analogy for these kinds of "accidents".   It is like 2 hours later and he keeps randomly saying, "Only one thing could have made that better.....BACON".  I was in the shower and he knocked on the bathroom door to tell me.  Whatev....that is my intelligent answer.


I believe my mom uses the ranch dressing packets, however I used my own dry mix, that I have a recipe for and concocted my own.  You will need 1 1/4 cups in total.  Here is what I did if you are using your own ranch dressing mix:


2 tbsp Ranch Dressing Mix
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup milk 
Combine and set aside. 

You could use ranch dressing right out of the bottle, 1 1/2 cups or until it is "enough" for you.  

Here is what else you will need:

3 cups UNcooked pasta (shells)

1 cucumber, peeled and diced

6 ounces cheddar cheese, cubed (I used mild)

1 large tomato diced (or more)

Cook your pasta according to package directions.  Drain. While draining go against every single pasta rule you have ever learned.  RINSE it with cold water!  Just so you don't put hot pasta into your nice cold mix.  Drain well.  

Add veggies and cheese to your bowl.  

Mix in dressing and pasta.  Mix well and chill for at least 1 hour.  Overnight is best.  


If you like you can top with crumbled bacon.  Unless yours accidentally falls into your mouth too.  You can also top with green onion, parsley or nothing at all!  Paired with my moms amazing fried chicken you have a 4th of July meal at the Smiths!!


Enjoy my friends!!

Your "bacon is good"chefwannabe

Chris

PS  .....it was no accident.