Ironic Chef #8, Salads Aren't Rabbit Food Anymore

Here in the States we are having a Holiday weekend in honor of Labor day which falls on Monday. In a way Labor day is the unofficial closing of our summer. The barbecues get fired up and the cookouts commence. I am sure that the burgers, dogs, Johnsonvilles and steaks are thrown on the grill but it seems the salads are always in the background. No Fair.








To me, when a BBQ comes to mind the picture of a paper plate overloaded with coleslaw, baked beans and macaroni salad comes to mind as the plate is collapsing. Maybe it was from watching a Dixie commercial to many times as a kid, lol.









I thought that for our Ironic Chef this week we all if you don't mind could pay tribute to the salads we make for the Holidays and Picnics. I am going to lump the baked beans into that somehow too if I can.





I am imagining that everyone has attended some type of covered dish function at one time or another. In the past I was a Scout Master and we would have these type of meals very often. I swear you would never see so many varieties of Macaroni salad in your life and every one of them would be different. Every single person who made one would be making a family favorite. Word got out that I loved macaroni salad and unfortunately I was put into a situation where I had to eat practically a plate full from every single person that made it or someone would feel insulted. If I wasn't Irish and Scottish one would wonder where I actually received my Nick Name from.





My macaroni salad is very basic and simple. I just cook up a lb of Macaroni elbows. I prefer Muller's cause I have been using it for so many years. I allow the Macaroni to cool before I make the salad. For the salad I use 1 can of tuna, some dill and sweet pickle relish, a large stick of celery, and a large minced onion and green pepper. I am not a fan of olives but as a kid olives always went into the Macaroni salad. As the years went bye my macaroni salad didn't taste right so I ended up throwing in some chopped olives and I was back on track. Funny how the taste buds recollect something like that and how taste change. After mixing in all the above I use a mixture of half Miracle Whip and half Helmans Mayonnaise and a few teaspoons of horseradish to pull it together. Of course I taste for salt and pepper. If it's for a holiday and guest are coming I usually decorate the top with some fresh parsley and some paprika to make it look fancy. I have been known to throw some nice deviled eggs on the top too. It just looks purty.




Macaroni salad to me is one of those things that has to be refrigerated for a day in advance so that all the flavors meld and the moisture is sucked into the pasta.





I hope that everyone has a wonderful Holiday weekend and for those of you that are not here in the States, we welcome everyone at a Barbecue.





Thanks for your recipes. Mac

This video is for Vero and has absolutely nothing to do with this weeks theme.