Gluten Free Living – 2018

I hit the gold mine with this Bacon Macaroni Salad recipe. It’s starts with my favorite homemade macaroni salad recipe–one I’ve made for decades. One of the biggest changes was adding bacon. Yes, that’s right. B-A-C-O-N!!! I’m always fine-tuning recipes. Quite frankly, I rarely make a recipe exactly the same way twice. 🙂 I love the thrill of seeing ingredients come together in different ways to put a new spin on a recipe.

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I made this salad with gluten free pasta, although any kind of pasta will work. While you can probably make this with regular mayonnaise, I chose to use Miracle Whip because it has a lot more zip. One of the things that increases the flavor of this salad is the dill weed, celery seed and paprika. The sweet pickle relish also provides the right tang to balance out all of the other flavors.

Back in May our church hosted an old fashioned Boot Scootin’. In Texas lingo, that’s our klutzy version of line-dancing/square dancing. This is preceded by a huge potluck dinner. There are several people in the church who are allergic to gluten. So I made two salads and one dessert that were gluten free. In addition to this Bacon Macaroni Salad, I made a 24-Hour Layered Salad and a Gluten Free Blackberry Dump Cake Cobbler. Everything turned out so well.

If you’re looking for a fantastic pasta salad recipe for your next potluck, family reunion or backyard barbecue, then give this fabulous salad a try. This particular recipe makes a lot. So if you don’t need 15 servings, then halve or quarter the recipe to make it more family friendly.

Bacon Macaroni Salad is absolutely awesome.

This recipe is amazing. Bacon makes everything better.

Bacon Macaroni Salad is a marvelous side salad. It’s terrific for potlucks, backyard barbecues and summer holidays like Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day.

Here’s what I did.

I used these ingredients.

Chop up veggies. Crisp cook bacon and break into bite-sized pieces.

Place bell peppers, carrots, diced red onion in a large mixing bowl.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and run cold water over top of pasta. I used a gluten free pasta.

To veggies in mixing bowl, add cooled gluten free pasta, bacon, chopped hard-boiled eggs, sweet relish, Miracle Whip, sugar, celery seed, dill weed, salt, pepper and apple cider vinegar.

Stir ingredients gently to combine. Sprinkle with paprika. Garnish with additional chopped bacon and sliced hard-boiled eggs. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

You can also garnish the salad with fresh dill weed, if desired.

Bacon Macaroni Salad is succulent and mouthwatering. 

The combination of flavors from the seasonings make this salad special.

Here’s the recipe.

BACON MACARONI SALAD

(My own concoction)

Bacon Macaroni Salad

Teresa Ambra

This delicious macaroni salad is so fantastic because it includes bacon! It has a tasty, tangy salad dressing and includes bell peppers, hard-boiled eggs, celery, carrots and sweet pickle relish. It's terrific for potlucks, summer barbecues and holidays like Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day. Gluten free.

3.34 from 3 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Course Salad and Salad Dressing, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 15

Calories 173 kcal

Equipment

• 2 large sauce pans with lids or medium stock pots with lids
• 1 colander
• 1 skillet to fry bacon
• 1 sharp knife to slice eggs and cut vegetables
• measuring cups
• measuring spoons

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 12 oz. pkg. gluten free elbow macaroni rotini, bow-tie pasta or sea shell pasta
• 5 slices bacon crisp-fried and broken into bite-sized pieces (reserving one slice for topping)
• 1 cup Miracle Whip
• 2 tbsp. granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup sweet pickle relish
• 4 hard-boiled eggs peeled and chopped (leave one sliced for garnish)
• 1 red bell pepper diced
• 1 yellow bell pepper diced
• 1 orange bell pepper diced
• 2 ribs celery diced
• 3/4 cup matchsticks carrots cut in half
• 1/4 cup red onion diced
• 1/8 tsp. paprika as desired to sprinkle over top of salad
• 1/8 tsp. dill weed as desired
• 1/8 tsp. celery seed as desired
• 1/2 tsp. Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

 

• Hard-boil eggs about 3 minutes.
• Remove from heat and allow to cool about 15 minutes.
• Peel eggs and slice.
• Reserve a few slices for topping and dice remaining eggs.
• Set aside.
• Cook macaroni according to package directions.
• Rinse in cold water to stop enzymatic process.
• Set aside.
• Meanwhile, fry bacon and drain on paper towels.
• Break into bite-sized pieces.
• Reserve the pieces from one slice of bacon for topping.
• Set both parts of bacon aside.
• Chop bell peppers, celery, carrots and onion.
• Combine cooked macaroni, bacon (except that reserved for topping), bell peppers, celery, carrots, onion and sweet pickle relish.
• Gently sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Combine mayonnaise or Miracle Whip, granulated sugar, apple cider vinegar, celery seed and dill weed.
• Combine dressing ingredients with macaroni ingredients.
• Pour into a salad bowl.
• Sprinkle with paprika.
• Garnish with hard-boiled egg slices and bacon pieces.

Notes

NOTE: I usually microwave bacon on a plate between two paper towels. If the bacon is thickly sliced, it will usually need one minute on high per slice. If the bacon is thinly sliced, it will need about 45 seconds per slice on high.

 

NOTE: Garnish with fresh dill weed, if desired.

 

NOTE: You can also use regular macaroni in this recipe.

 

^© Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen

Nutrition

Calories: 173kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 5gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 56mgSodium: 351mgPotassium: 132mgFiber: 2gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 1813IUVitamin C: 36mgCalcium: 16mgIron: 1mg

Keyword bacon, gluten free, pasta, pasta salad, salad, side dish

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Bacon makes a regular pasta salad amazing!

I loved the way this salad turned out. It was so incredibly tasty.

If you enjoy pasta salads, you need to give Bacon Macaroni Salad a try.

You may also enjoy these delicious recipes!

Ranch BLT Pasta Salad

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

Trio Antipasta Salad

Bacon Macaroni Salad

Teresa Ambra

This delicious macaroni salad is so fantastic because it includes bacon! It has a tasty, tangy salad dressing and includes bell peppers, hard-boiled eggs, celery, carrots and sweet pickle relish. It’s terrific for potlucks, summer barbecues and holidays like Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day. Gluten free.

3.34 from 3 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Course Salad and Salad Dressing, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 15

Calories 173 kcal

Equipment

• 2 large sauce pans with lids or medium stock pots with lids
• 1 colander
• 1 skillet to fry bacon
• 1 sharp knife to slice eggs and cut vegetables
• measuring cups
• measuring spoons

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 12 oz. pkg. gluten free elbow macaroni rotini, bow-tie pasta or sea shell pasta
• 5 slices bacon crisp-fried and broken into bite-sized pieces (reserving one slice for topping)
• 1 cup Miracle Whip
• 2 tbsp. granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup sweet pickle relish
• 4 hard-boiled eggs peeled and chopped (leave one sliced for garnish)
• 1 red bell pepper diced
• 1 yellow bell pepper diced
• 1 orange bell pepper diced
• 2 ribs celery diced
• 3/4 cup matchsticks carrots cut in half
• 1/4 cup red onion diced
• 1/8 tsp. paprika as desired to sprinkle over top of salad
• 1/8 tsp. dill weed as desired
• 1/8 tsp. celery seed as desired
• 1/2 tsp. Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

 

• Hard-boil eggs about 3 minutes.
• Remove from heat and allow to cool about 15 minutes.
• Peel eggs and slice.
• Reserve a few slices for topping and dice remaining eggs.
• Set aside.
• Cook macaroni according to package directions.
• Rinse in cold water to stop enzymatic process.
• Set aside.
• Meanwhile, fry bacon and drain on paper towels.
• Break into bite-sized pieces.
• Reserve the pieces from one slice of bacon for topping.
• Set both parts of bacon aside.
• Chop bell peppers, celery, carrots and onion.
• Combine cooked macaroni, bacon (except that reserved for topping), bell peppers, celery, carrots, onion and sweet pickle relish.
• Gently sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Combine mayonnaise or Miracle Whip, granulated sugar, apple cider vinegar, celery seed and dill weed.
• Combine dressing ingredients with macaroni ingredients.
• Pour into a salad bowl.
• Sprinkle with paprika.
• Garnish with hard-boiled egg slices and bacon pieces.

Notes

NOTE: I usually microwave bacon on a plate between two paper towels. If the bacon is thickly sliced, it will usually need one minute on high per slice. If the bacon is thinly sliced, it will need about 45 seconds per slice on high.

 

NOTE: Garnish with fresh dill weed, if desired.

 

NOTE: You can also use regular macaroni in this recipe.

 

^© Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen

Nutrition

Calories: 173kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 5gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 56mgSodium: 351mgPotassium: 132mgFiber: 2gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 1813IUVitamin C: 36mgCalcium: 16mgIron: 1mg

Keyword bacon, gluten free, pasta, pasta salad, salad, side dish

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!