Let us talk salad.
Pasta salad.
Macaroni and cheese pasta salad.
Yeppers; a humble blue box of Kraft Dinner, a dab o’ mayonnaise, a bit of Catalina salad dressing, and some freshly chopped veggies all come together unexpectedly well in this mid-century take on pasta salad.
Who’d a thunk it?
INGREDIENTS
•1 box mac and cheese dinner
•1/4 cup butter
•1/4 cup milk
•1/3 cup + 2 tbsp Catalina dressing
•1/3 cup mayonnaise
•1 tbsp chopped onion
•1 cup diced celery
•1 cup diced cucumber
•1 jar diced pimiento, drained
•1/4 cup sliced peperoncini
•1/4 tsp Seasoned Salt
•1/2 tsp Black pepper
•1/2 tsp Aleppo pepper (optional)
Prepare the mac and cheese according to the directions on the box – but be sure to rinse the macaroni after cooking.
Stir 1/3 cup of the Catalina dressing into the prepared mac and cheese, then set aside to cool completely.
Stir the mayonnaise and additional two tablespoons of Catalina dressing into the mac and cheese, then add the veggies, season with the salt, black, and (if using) Aleppo pepper and toss to combine.
Transfer to a bowl, cover, and stash in the fridge until ready to serve.
A couple of notes:
Feel free to swap out veggies to suit your own preferences; and go ahead and add bacon, tuna, or diced chicken to the salad to make it more of a complete meal.