Dilly Mac Pasta Salad

My go-to creamy pasta salad that goes great with cheeseburgers! If you’re a pickle lover, this one is definitely for you! Pickles, pickle juice, pasta, cheddar and fresh dill all make this a perfect side dish for all your summer meals.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 8 minutes

Chill time: 30 minutes

Total time: 53 minutes

Makes about 6 servings

8 ounces cooked elbow macaroni pasta
1/2 cup dill pickle juice, from the jar
1 cup cubed cheddar cheese
1 cup sliced dill pickles
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh dill
3 Tablespoons diced white onion

Creamy dressing

2/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sour cream
Salt + pepper to taste
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh dill

Cook 8 oz of elbow mac according to package instructions until al dente. Rinse pasta and drain well.
While pasta cooks, chop onion, dill, and cube cheddar cheese. Add to a large bowl along with pickle juice. Once pasta is cooked, add pasta.
Add the dressing ingredients to a small bowl and mix well. Pour over the big bowl ingredients and stir to combine. If it’s a little thick, add a Tablespoon at a time of more pickle juice.
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving, or for 4-6 hours for best flavor.

If you don’t want to chop up dill pickles, you could also use a dill pickle relish and add about 1/2 a cup instead. Make sure it is DILL pickle relish. Many relishes come as a sweet relish and they are vastly different flavors.
If you like crunch (me too!), adding an extra half cup of diced celery is a nice touch to the pasta salad.
This is also a great leftover for a couple of days. Because there is mayonnaise, we usually make sure we eat it up or ditch it after about 3 days. If you plan your dinners like I do, try to utilize it two nights in a row, or pack it for lunches.

‘Tis the season for pasta salads! And this one is a staple in our house. It’s my husband’s favorite and I love the zippy pickle flavor with a nice grilled burger. Tastes like summer! It’s also super easy to assemble. The hardest part is making the pasta.

Hope you enjoy it as much as our family does!

Until next time,