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Mac 'n' cheese salad in a round serving bowl with a platter of sausage rolls and paper napkins on the side.

Mac 'n' Cheese Salad

By: Deborah
This mac 'n' cheese salad is the ultimate comfort food meets salad dish! Creamy, cheesy pasta combined with fresh veggies makes it perfect for barbecues, picnics, or easy lunches. Quick, delicious, and sure to be a hit!
PREP: 10 minutes
COOK: 15 minutes
TOTAL: 25 minutes
Course: Lunch, Salad, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 4 people
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Equipment

Ingredients

  • 300 g (10.6 oz) macaroni or spirali pasta
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 rashers smoked back bacon (or 4 rashers smoked streaky bacon)
  • 4 tbsp light mayonnaise (Heinz is my favourite!)
  • 2 tbsp reduced fat sour cream
  • 1 tsp American-style mustard
  • 40 g (1.4 oz) extra mature cheddar grated
  • 40 g (1.4 oz) red leicester grated
  • 1 small yellow pepper deseeded and diced
  • 8 baby cherry or plum tomatoes halved
  • 2 tbsp chopped chives to garnish

Instructions

  • Heat the grill on high.
  • Cook the pasta according to the pack instructions (around 10 minutes). Drain and refresh with cold water. Transfer to a large bowl, toss with the olive oil and allow to cool completely.
  • Meanwhile, cook the bacon under the hot grill until crispy (around 5 to 6 minutes, turning once). Leave to cool on a plate with kitchen roll, then roughly chop ready for adding at step 4.
  • To make the dressing, put the mayonnaise, sour cream and mustard in a small bowl. Stir together until well combined.
  • Stir the bacon, grated cheeses, diced pepper and tomatoes into the pasta. Drizzle over the dressing and gently stir to combine. Garnish with the chopped chives and serve straight away.

Notes

  • Make it spicy - add sriracha, jalapeños or smoked paprika.
  • BBQ flavours - mix in pulled pork or drizzle with BBQ sauce.
  • Healthy version - use whole wheat pasta, fat free Greek yogurt in the dressing and add extra veggies.
  • Vegan version - use dairy-free cheese and a cashew-based dressing.
  • This mac 'n' cheese salad recipe is easily adapted if you’re cooking for less or more people.

 

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Nutrition

Calories: 486kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 32mg | Sodium: 332mg | Potassium: 336mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 458IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 168mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

KEYWORDS barbecue food, buffet food, mac n cheese salad recipe, party food, pasta salad recipe, picnic food
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