Betty's Seductive Macaroni Salad

Back in the day, when I was a twenty-something in Seattle, I occasionally got homesick for certain things. One of them was macaroni salad.  It wasn't a staple on our table growing up, but it was always in the creamy salad lineup at picnics and potlucks.  I was usually the one spooning a heaping mound onto a paper plate that gave way onto the ground.  Sloppy with mayonnaise, chunks of cheddar, sometimes chunks of ham, and peas for a hint of green, it was not the poster child of healthy salads.  For me, it was the mix of tangy mayo with the sharpness of cheddar that tripped my taste buds.  

When I'd start pining for macaroni salad, my best friend Lydia, also a closet mac salad junkie, would go shopping with me and we'd try to track it down in Seattle grocery stores.  It wasn't hard to find, turns out macaroni salad is a deli staple with national appeal.  After careful taste testing and research, we decided Larry's Market had the best macaroni salad in Seattle.  They didn't go overboard with the mayo and more importantly, they didn't leave out the cheddar.  As is the way though, Larry's Market closed some years ago, so I can't tell you who has the best macaroni salad in Seattle these days.

The good news is, you don't have to go searching because you can make it for yourself and in doing so, you have complete control over the cheddar and mayo.  When I was looking through all my old cookbooks, a recipe for Summer Macaroni Salad in the 1967 Betty Crocker's Outdoor Cookbook caught my eye.  They referred to it as "a man-pleaser salad."  Hmmm, the picnic salad I've always lusted after was once marketed as a way for women to seduce men at a barbecue.  This makes sense to me, but I'm not comfortable with the implied sexism.  This salad should be an equal opportunity instrument of seduction.  Therefore, I'm reintroducing this version as a way to score with anyone at a picnic.  I'm also reintroducing it with some updated flavors.  If Betty Crocker had been a real person alive today, I'd like to think she'd have a thing for Sriracha.  

Betty's Seductive Macaroni Salad

This salad is best made a day ahead. It gives the flavors a chance to meld.  It's 100 percent my own concoction, and I have to say the lemon juice & Sriracha are key.

2 cups uncooked macaroni  

6 strips of bacon

3/4 cup chopped onion

3/4 cup chopped radishes

1 10 oz. package frozen peas

3/4 cup chopped red bell pepper

1/2 cup minced fresh parsley    

1 cup cubed sharp cheddar cheese 

2 hard-cooked eggs chopped

1 cup sweet relish (preferably all-natural)

3/4 cup Lemonaise or mayonnaise (see notes)

1 1/2 Tbsp of Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 tsp. kosher salt

fresh ground pepper to taste

Cook the macaroni according to the package, preferably until it's al dente so that your pasta isn't too squishy.  When it's done, drain it and rinse under cold water.  Cook the bacon strips until they're crispy, lay them on a paper towel-lined plate to absorb the excess grease.  Cook the peas according to the package, but really watch them and maybe even cook them for a shorter time than the package recommends because you'll want them to be firm in the salad.  When they're ready, pull them off the stove, drain and rinse under cold water, like you did with the macaroni.

Combine the macaroni and peas in a large serving bowl.  Chop the onion, radishes, bell pepper, parlsey, eggs, and cheese and add them to the serving bowl as you go.  Break up the bacon strips into small pieces and add to the bowl.  Combine everything as you add each ingredient. 

Add the sweet relish and stir it in.  Add the Lemonaise or mayo and mix it in well.  If you'd prefer a creamier salad, then add an extra 1/4 cup of mayo.  Personal preference reigns.  Here's where things get crazy.  You're going to kick up the flavor with some Sriracha.  Like the mayo/Lemonaise, it's a matter of personal preference.  I listed the amounts that I prefer, but if you don't like it as spicy, then start with a smaller amount and taste as you go.  Finally, add the lemon juice, salt, and pepper.  Mix everything completely.  Serve or cover and store in refrigerator to be served the next day.

Notes:  Lemonaise is a natural mayonnaise without any preservatives in it and it has a nice lemon flavor.  I stumbled onto it some years ago at my local food c0-op.  I think it's a little healthier than regular mayo, but it's not available at every store and it's a little more expensive.  Just an option.  

I also chose to use an all-natural sweet relish because in reading labels, I found that most bottled relishes have high fructose corn syrup in them.  There are some ways of making this salad healthier than Betty's old school version.

Seduce.