Creamy Macaroni Salad With Shredded Parmesan Cheese - An Updated American Classic

When I was growing up on Long Island, New York my mother often asked me to walk four blocks to the local deli and buy lunch meat or salad. The store owner knew me because his daughter was a friend of mine. "What would you like to taste?" he would ask. My answer was always the same -- macaroni salad. He would hand me a small dish of salad, a tiny spoon to eat with, and add "No charge."

Since I adored mayonnaise, and still do, I adored this salad of elbow macaroni, chopped tomatoes, green pepper, and a little celery. Many kids do not like celery because it has a strong flavor. The small amount of celery may be another reason I loved the salad so much. Of course, the friendliness of the store owner influenced my opinion.
The old, time-tested recipe for macaroni salad was pretty simple, noodles with lots of mayonnaise. There are dozens, maybe hundreds, of recipes on the Internet. The Southern Food website has posted a recipe that includes hard-cooked eggs. The Food Network website has posted a recipe for dressing made with sour cream. But these are not the recipes of my childhood. I wanted a healthier version of the creamy classic.
To learn more about macaroni salad I checked some of my cookbooks. In the original "Joy of Cooking" authors Irma S. Rombauer and Marion Rambuer Becker say the exact proportions for the salad "are unimportant." This is true up to a point. Add too many vegetables to the recipe and you will be short on dressing. Salad that is stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days tend to absorb dressing and you may have to add more to moisten it.
Summer time makes me think of macaroni salad. In fact, I crave it. Could I come up with a healthier version of the American classic? Yes. Scan the recipe below and you will see it contains more veggies than pasta. Using multi-grain pasta, light mayonnaise and light Peppercorn Ranch dressing also saved on calories. Kids will devour this Creamy Macaroni Salad with Shredded Parmesan Cheese. They may even ask for more!
Ingredients
2 cups milti-grain elbow macaroni, cooked
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup green pepper, chopped
1 cup petite carrots (straight from package)
1/2 cup scallions (white and green parts), chopped
1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
1/2 cup light mayonnaise (or fat-free mayonnaise substitute)
1/2 cup light Parmesan Peppercorn Ranch salad dressing
1 tablespoon fat-free half and half
Salt to taste
Method
Cook elbow macaroni according to package directions until it is al dente. Rinse with cold water, drain well, and transfer to a large bowl. Add grape tomatoes, green pepper, carrots, scallions, and Parmesan cheese. In a small bowl combine mayonnaise and Parmesan Peppercorn Ranch dressing. Thin with fat-free half and half. Pour dressing over salad and combine gently. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour. Makes 6 servings.
Copyright 2010 by Harriet Hodgson

http://www.harriethodgson.com
Harriet Hodgson has been an independent journalist for decades. She is a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors, Association of Health Care Journalists, and Association for Death Education and Counseling. Her 24th book, "Smiling Through Your Tears: Anticipating Grief," written with Lois Krahn, MD is available from Amazon.
Centering Corporation has published her 26th book, "Writing to Recover: The Journey from Loss and Grief to a New Life" and a companion journal with 100 writing jump-starts. Hodgson is a monthly columnist for the new "Caregiving in America" magazine, which resumes publication in August. She is also a contributing writer for the Open to Hope Foundation website. Please visit Harriet's website and learn more about this busy author and grandmother.