Southern Tuna Macaroni Salad

Creamy from eggs and mayonnaise, tangy and acidic from mustard, pickles and chow chow, with a nice crunch from celery and onion. The Cajun spice just rounds it out with a blend of spices, the pimentos add a pop of color and sweetness, and tuna complements and ties all the flavors together in this Southern macaroni salad. Could top with some parsley for added color! Put this in a tortilla or melt some cheese on toast and make an open-faced sandwich!

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Total Time: 15 mins
• Calories: 523 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• ½ cup diced red onion
• 1 (16 ounce) package elbow macaroni
• 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• ½ cup chopped pimento peppers
• 3 ribs celery, diced
• 5 tablespoons dill pickle relish
• 2 tablespoons chow-chow (optional)
• 2 large hard-boiled eggs, chopped
• 2 (6.5 ounce) jars tuna packed in oil

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Place diced onion in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Let sit for 5 minutes. Drain into a colander.

Step 2

While onion soaks, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain into the same colander as red onion and run under cold water to stop cooking and cool to room temperature.

Step 3

Place mayonnaise, pimentos, relish, chow-chow, mustard, Cajun seasoning, and salt in a large bowl and stir to combine. Add pasta, red onion, and celery and stir to combine. Gently fold in tuna and eggs to combine.