Southern Macaroni Salad

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Bring this quintessential Southern macaroni salad, made with whole-wheat macaroni, celery, peas and ham, to your next picnic or barbecue. It's the perfect salad to feed a crowd!

By
Pam Lolley
Pam Lolley headshot
Pam Lolley

Pam Lolley is a recipe tester and developer with Dotdash Meredith Food Studios. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from Mississippi University for Women in elementary education with a minor in psychology. After graduation she taught for a couple of years, but decided to follow her true passion of baking. She began a personal baking business, which led to a catering company. Pam started developing and testing recipes for the Southern Living Magazine Test Kitchen in 2003. She has developed several of the white Christmas cakes which grace the magazine's cover every December, as well as several other dessert recipes that have been cover-worthy. She has been in the test kitchens now for over 18 years. In her spare time, she loves spending time with her family, traveling, reading and, believe it or not, loves to cook and bake at home!

EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines
Updated on April 19, 2024
Tested by
EatingWell Test Kitchen
Eating Well Bio Page
Tested by EatingWell Test Kitchen

The EatingWell Test Kitchen is comprised of a group of culinary professionals who develop and test our recipes. Our recipes go through a rigorous process, which includes testing by trained recipe testers, using different equipment (e.g., gas and electric stoves) and a variety of tools and techniques to make sure that it will really work when you make it at home. Testers shop major supermarkets to research availability of ingredients. Finally, a Registered Dietitian reviews each recipe to ensure that we deliver food that's not only delicious, but adheres to our nutrition guidelines as well. Learn more about our food philosophy and nutrition parameters.

Meet the EatingWell Test Kitchen
Reviewed by Dietitian
Jessica Ball, M.S., RD
Jessica Ball
Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD
Jessica Ball, M.S., RD, is nutrition editor for EatingWell. She is a registered dietitian with a master's in food, nutrition and sustainability. In addition to EatingWell, her work has appeared in Food & Wine, Real Simple, Parents, Better Homes and Gardens and MyRecipes.
EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines
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Prep Time:
15 mins
Additional Time:
5 mins
Total Time:
20 mins
Servings:
14
Yield:
14 servings
Nutrition Profile:
Nut-Free Soy-Free
Jump to Nutrition Facts
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Ingredients

  • 12 ounces whole-wheat elbow pasta

  • 1 cup thinly sliced celery

  • 1 cup frozen petite green peas, thawed

  • 4 ounces diced smoked ham

  • 4 ounces mild Cheddar cheese, cut into 1/4-inch cubes

  • 1 (2 ounce) jar diced pimientos, drained

  • ¼ cup chopped red onion

  • ½ cup mayonnaise

  • ½ cup reduced-fat sour cream

  • ¾ teaspoon salt

  • ½ teaspoon ground pepper

Directions

  1. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and rinse with cold water. Transfer the pasta to a large bowl; add celery, peas, ham, cheese, pimientos and onion. Toss to combine.

  2. Stir mayonnaise and sour cream together in a small bowl. Add the mayonnaise mixture, salt and pepper to the pasta mixture; stir to coat. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Tips

To make ahead: Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days

Originally appeared: EatingWell.com, April 2020

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

187 Calories
9g Fat
23g Carbs
7g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 14
Serving Size 2/3 cup
Calories 187
% Daily Value *
Total Carbohydrate 23g 8%
Dietary Fiber 3g 12%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 7g 13%
Total Fat 9g 11%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Cholesterol 11mg 4%
Vitamin A 377IU 8%
Vitamin C 6mg 6%
Folate 24mcg 6%
Sodium 280mg 12%
Calcium 25mg 2%
Iron 2mg 8%
Magnesium 42mg 10%
Potassium 145mg 3%

Nutrition information is calculated by a registered dietitian using an ingredient database but should be considered an estimate.

* Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day. Percent Daily Value (%DV) found on nutrition labels tells you how much a serving of a particular food or recipe contributes to each of those total recommended amounts. Per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the daily value is based on a standard 2,000 calorie diet. Depending on your calorie needs or if you have a health condition, you may need more or less of particular nutrients. (For example, it’s recommended that people following a heart-healthy diet eat less sodium on a daily basis compared to those following a standard diet.)

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a special diet for medical reasons, be sure to consult with your primary care provider or a registered dietitian to better understand your personal nutrition needs.

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