Ham & Cheese Macaroni Salad

Looking for a super simple, super tasty macaroni salad? Give Ham & Cheese Macaroni Salad a try!  Made with just a few basic ingredients, this simple macaroni salad is easy to pull together and loaded with flavor, too. Not to mention, it's a great dish for enjoying that leftover ham.
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Truth be told, when I cook a ham I'm not sure if I'm more excited to eat the ham as a main dish on the day it's cooked or to enjoy the leftovers in all kinds of tasty dishes afterwards. I actually think I lean toward liking the leftovers most.

There are just so many ways to enjoy leftover ham -- In tasty soups like slow cooker ham & corn chowder or classic ham & kidney bean soup, or creamy casseroles like leftover ham & noodle casserole and my Mom's "famous" ham & cheese lasagna. Or, how about the ever-popular, ever-classic ham salad that's one of the tastiest sandwich fillings around?

Made with just a few basic ingredients, this simple macaroni salad is easy to pull together and loaded with flavor.  

Or, chop that leftover ham up and enjoy it in one of the simplest and tastiest pasta salads around -- This super easy Ham & Cheese Macaroni Salad.

Made with just a few basic ingredients, this simple macaroni salad is easy to pull together and loaded with flavor.  

But hey, you don't need to have ham leftovers to whip up a batch. It's a perfect macaroni salad for potlucks or all those summer cookouts when you might not have just cooked a ham -- Just buy a ham steak to chop up, or ask the deli to cut you some extra-thick deli ham. Either way works great to stand in for the ham leftovers and whip up this tasty salad macaroni salad to enjoy.

Ham & Cheese Macaroni Salad Ingredients:

This tasty macaroni salad comes together with pretty simple ingredients. Of course, you'll need:

• Ham - The star of the show. Chopped leftover ham works fabulous. If you didn't just cook a ham to have leftovers, grab a ham steak at the grocery store to chop up, or ask the deli to cut you some extra-thick deli ham.

Once the ham is covered, the other base ingredients are things most people tend to have on hand:

• Elbow macaroni noodles - The pasta base of the macaroni salad. Small shells, bowties, or penne pasta could be substituted if you prefer.
• White vinegar - Stirred into the still-warm cooked macaroni, white vinegar is absorbed by and flavors the noodles.
• An onion - Brings background flavor to the salad. It's best very finely chopped to avoid large pieces of raw onion in the finished salad.
• A block of cheddar cheese - The cheese element of this "Ham & Cheese" pasta salad. Cut the cheese block into small cubes to add great texture and flavor to the salad.
• A bag of frozen peas - Adds nice color and a tasty vegetable component to the salad. No need to cook the peas. -- Simply thaw and stir them together with the other ingredients.

These base ingredients are then tossed together in a very basic dressing of mayonnaise and white vinegar, seasoned with a touch of salt, pepper, and sugar.

For the salad's dressing, you'll need:

• Mayonnaise - The base of the salad's dressing. Choose a high quality mayonnaise for the best and creamiest result.
• White vinegar - Add a bit of zip to the dressing. We do not recommend substituting a different type of vinegar as a substitution could alter the salad's flavor too much.
• Granulated sugar - A small touch of sugar (just 1 teaspoon) nicely balances the dressing.
• Salt & pepper - Seasons and enhances the macaroni salad's flavors.

How to Make Ham & Cheese Macaroni Salad:

Ham & Cheese Macaroni Salad is pretty simple to make.

Start by cooking macaroni according to the package directions. Place the warm drained macaroni in a large bowl and toss it with a little white vinegar. The still-warm noodles will absorb the vinegar, giving them some nice background flavor.

Then stir in cubed cheddar cheese, chopped ham, thawed peas, and finely chopped onion.  

Prepare the dressing by whisking together some mayonnaise, white vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper in a separate small bowl. Pour the dressing over the macaroni mixture and give it a good stir.

Once everything is well combined, chill the macaroni salad for at least an hour before serving to allow the flavors to meld. I actually prefer to chill the salad overnight to allow the flavors to more fully meld together.

While the salad chills, the texture will change a little, as well, as the macaroni noodles absorb some of the dressing.

If too much dressing is absorbed and the salad seems "dry" at the time of serving, just stir in a couple tablespoons of mayonnaise to moisten it back up to your liking.

And that's all there is to whipping up a batch of Ham & Cheese Macaroni Salad.  Made with just a few basic ingredients, it's easy to pull together and loaded with flavor, too.

A perfect hearty side dish for enjoying that leftover ham, or a perfect simple macaroni salad for potlucks and all those fun summer cookouts.

Check out these other super tasty pasta salad recipes:

• Amish Macaroni Salad
• Loaded Baked Potato Macaroni Salad
• Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
• Copycat KFC Macaroni Salad
• Greek Macaroni Salad
• Antipasto Pasta Salad
• Ma's Picnic Pasta Salad
• Summer Vegetable Tortellini Salad
• Pineapple Shrimp Macaroni Salad
• Dill Pickle Macaroni Salad
• More salad recipes

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macaroni salad, macaroni salad recipe, ham cheese macaroni salad recipe, recipes with leftover ham, ham leftovers

Salads

American

Yield: about 10-12 servings

Author: Tracey | The Kitchen is My Playground

Ham & Cheese Macaroni Salad

Looking for a super simple, super tasty macaroni salad? Give Ham & Cheese Macaroni Salad a try! Made with just a few basic ingredients, this simple macaroni salad is easy to pull together and loaded with flavor, too. Not to mention, it's a great dish for enjoying that leftover ham.

Prep time: 20 MCook time: 20 MTotal time: 40 M

Ingredients:

• 2 c. uncooked elbow macaroni
• 2. T. white vinegar
• 2 c. chopped cooked ham
• 1 (12 oz.) package frozen peas, thawed
• 1 (8 oz.) block mild or medium cheddar cheese, cut in small cubes
• 1/2 c. very finely chopped onion

Dressing:

• 1 c. mayonnaise
• 1 T. white vinegar
• 1 tsp. granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper

Instructions:

How to make Ham & Cheese Macaroni Salad

1. Cook macaroni in boiling salted water according to package directions. Drain well.
2. Place warm macaroni in a large bowl; toss with 2 tablespoons vinegar.  
3. Stir in cubed cheese, ham, peas, and onion.  Set aside to let noodles absorb the vinegar.
4. Prepare dressing in a separate smaller bowl:  Whisk together mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper. 
5. Pour over the macaroni mixture and stir until well combined.
6. Cover and chill for at least an hour before serving. Or, chill overnight to allow the flavors to fully meld.

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