Southern Tuna macaroni salad is perfect for cookouts, summertime gatherings or as a side dish to your usual meals. This creamy and flavorful salad is a Southern favorite that is easy to make, delicious, and, of course, nutritious. If you have family members from the South, you probably got the chance to relish on this creamy dish. But, if you want to learn how to make tuna macaroni salad for yourself, take a look at the different ways you could make your tuna macaroni salad.
Classic southern tuna macaroni salad
The recipe from southernfood.com includes only the essentials for making this Southern classic. For this recipe you will need:
Canned tuna
Small shell or elbow macaroni
Mayonnaise
Chopped celery
Chopped onion
Chopped green bell pepper
Teaspoons salt
Ground black pepper
The measurements depend on how much tuna salad you plan to make and for how many people. There is no wrong way of making this macaroni salad as far as measurements go, and it all depends on your preferences. Just taste the salad as you go and decide if you want to add more or less of the listed ingredients. To make the salad, cook the macaroni according to packaging directions. Drain the macaroni and transfer to a large bowl. Add the mayonnaise along with the tuna and chopped onion. Add the remaining ingredients and refrigerate before serving.
Upgraded tuna macaroni salad
A recipe on divascancook.com has the classic ingredients every southern tuna macaroni salad needs but with a bit more flavor. The recipe is as follows:
Canned tuna
Small shell or elbow macaroni
Hard boiled eggs
Mayonnaise
Chopped celery, onion, and green bell pepper
Teaspoons salt
Ground black pepper
Dill relish
Sweet relish
Old Bay
Parsley and paprika garnish
Cook the pasta according to instruction, rinse, and leave to cool in a large bowl. Add the chopped eggs, celery, onion and bell pepper. Add the tuna and relishes and stir well until combined. Stir in the mayonnaise and season with salt, pepper, and Old Bay. Transfer to a casserole dish and garnish with the parsley and paprika. Again, refrigerate before serving.
Nutrition
A serving of tuna macaroni salad is 390 calories according to allrecipes.com. Most of the calories come from fat and carbohydrates. If you add the boiled eggs to your tuna salad, you also get at least 189 mg of cholesterol which is found in the yolk according to Mayo Clinic. This is why you need to be careful with your portions. On the other hand, you also get plenty of vitamin B6, calcium, potassium, and fiber from celery. Bell peppers are rich in vitamin C, thiamine, niacin, and folate. The canned tuna also has some nutritional values as it is a rich source of vitamins B6 and B 12, and omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids, all of which are good for overall health.
Making southern tuna macaroni salad is easy and a great way to impress your guests. Everyone appreciates a bowl of this classic Southern meal, and it goes perfectly well with grilled meat or even in sandwiches. When eaten moderately, you also get nutritional value from a bowl of this summertime salad.
Author Bio
Kathy Mitchell is an experienced nutrition and weight management consultant. She is contributing to Consumer Health Digest. She has written reviews on many health supplements like Amberen menopause supplement. Follow her on Google+, Facebook and Twitter.