Chicken Macaroni Pasta Salad
This Chicken Macaroni Pasta Salad is made with a creamy and sweet dressing and loaded with chopped chicken, bell pepper, red onions, hard-boiled eggs, and matchstick carrots.
Unless you are making this recipe for a crowd, you may want to cut it in half—it feeds a lot, and the leftovers almost seem to multiply, kind of like my Chipotle Chicken Pasta Salad.
Why I Love This Simple Chicken Macaroni Salad
This is an easy pasta salad recipe that I had completely forgotten about until I came across it in an old recipe file from my family. Growing up, we used to eat this salad all the time.
Upon studying the ingredient list, I was surprised to see sweetened condensed milk in the dressing. Then, as I looked further, I noticed that the dressing also called for crushed pineapple and sweet pickle relish.
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One of the best parts is how the sweetened condensed milk in the dressing helps to keep the salad moist and creamy as it rests in the fridge. Long story short, just trust the process and make this recipe exactly as it’s laid out. I promise you won’t regret it in the least!
I like bringing this dish along with my ShoePeg Corn Salad to family gatherings and get-togethers.
Ingredients
Pasta Salad
- Elbow macaroni: Cook until al dente according to package directions. I like elbow macaroni but you can use any pasta shape that you prefer.
- Fully cooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs: May use rotisserie chicken or any type of leftover grilled, smoked, or air-fried chicken.
- Matchstick carrots
- Red onion
- Baby peas
- Hard-boiled eggs and Velveeta cheese
- Pineapple tidbits: This is an optional ingredient that you can add if your family especially enjoys added sweetness. We love this addition!
Dressing
- Mayonnaise
- Sweetened condensed milk
- Crushed pineapple
- Sweet pickle relish
Cooking Instructions
Cook the macaroni pasta according to the directions on the box. Cooking the pasta until al dente really helps it hold its shape and texture once you add the remaining ingredients and the dressing.
In a large mixing bowl combine the mayonnaise and sweetened condensed milk with the crushed pineapple and pickle relish. If needed, add some of the reserved pineapple juice to the dressing to get the desired consistency.
To the dressing, add the cooked macaroni, chicken, hard boiled eggs, carrots, cheese, peas, and onions. Toss gently to combine with the dressing and serve.
Making Ahead
You can make this salad 24 hours ahead for added flavor. This time allows all the flavors to meld together, and the salad will still be nice, creamy, and fresh when you serve it.
You will find that almost any salad similar to this gets even better the second day. I also make my corn salad the day before for the best flavor.
Tips for Serving At a BBQ
If you’re serving this at a summer outdoor event, be cautious, as it does have a mayonnaise-based dressing. To keep this salad food safe, partially fill a large flat serving bowl with ice, then lay a kitchen towel over the ice bed.
Nestle your bowl of pasta salad into the ice to keep it chilled. Every so often, give the salad a good toss to rotate and chill all the ingredients.
Chicken Macaroni Pasta Salad
Ingredients
Dressing
- 1 ½ cups mayonnaise
- ½ cup sweetened condensed milk
- 14 ounce can crushed pineapple well drained and a bit of juice reserved
- ½ cup sweet pickle relish
Pasta Salad
- 1 pound uncooked elbow macaroni cooked until al dente according to package directions
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cooked and shredded or diced
- 1 cup matchstick carrots
- 1/2 cup baby peas
- 6 hard-boiled eggs peeled and coarsely chopped
- 1 cup Velveeta Cheese cubed small
- 1/2 medium red onion diced
Instructions
- Prepare the Dressing: In a large mixing bowl combine the mayonnaise and sweetened condensed milk with the crushed pineapple and pickle relish. If needed, add some of the reserved pineapple juice to the dressing to get the desired consistency.1 ½ cups mayonnaise, ½ cup sweetened condensed milk, 14 ounce can crushed pineapple, ½ cup sweet pickle relish
- Assemble the Salad: To the dressing, add the cooked macaroni, chicken, hard boiled eggs, carrots, cheese, peas, and onions, tossing gently to combine with the dressing.1 pound uncooked elbow macaroni, 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cooked and shredded or diced, 1 cup matchstick carrots, 1/2 cup baby peas, 6 hard-boiled eggs, 1 cup Velveeta Cheese, 1/2 medium red onion