Deviled Egg Macaroni Salad
Deviled Egg Macaroni Salad is a creamy, flavorful pasta salad that combines the addictive flavors of deviled eggs and classic macaroni salad. It's the perfect make-ahead side dish for summer cookouts, picnics, and potlucks.
Servings 12 servings
Ingredients
- 12 ounces dried elbow pasta (about 3 cups)
- 6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled*
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (plus more for optional garnish)
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 ribs celery, finely chopped (about 1/3 cup)
- 1/3 cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup pickle relish (sweet or dill**)
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives
Instructions
- Bring a 2½ to 3-quart pot of water to a boil, with a generous amount of salt (2 to 3 teaspoons). When the water is bubbling, add the dried pasta and give it a stir. Cook per the "al dente" instructions on the pasta box (i.e., usually about 7 minutes, unless the elbows are large). Strain into a large sieve and run cold water over the pasta to stop the cooking. Let drain. Pour into a very large mixing bowl (at least 2 quarts).
- Slice the hard-boiled eggs in half and pop out the yolks, placing them in a medium mixing bowl. Smash the yolks with a fork until finely crumbled.
- Chop the egg whites and add them to the pasta bowl.
- Add the mayo, sour cream, mustard, vinegar, salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper to the egg yolks and stir well to mix.
- Spoon the celery, peppers, and relish into the dressing, along with half of the dill and chives, mixing well.
- Pour the dressing over the pasta and egg whites and fold it in. I prefer doing this in two pourings, to ensure the pasta is well-coated.
- For best flavor, refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Garnish with a shake or two of smoked paprika for color, and sprinkle more of the dill and chives over the top.
Video
Notes
Storing:
Keep the pasta salad refrigerated for up to 4 days. With its mayo, dairy, and egg ingredients, the salad should not sit unrefrigerated for more than two hours. If the pasta spends any time outdoors in the heat, leftovers should be discarded. No-waste tip: If you're entertaining at home, divide the macaroni salad into two batches. Keep one batch in the fridge while the second goes outdoors to the table. Replenish the outdoors batch as needed. Any leftovers in the fridge will be good for another meal (discard what's left out on the table). * To cook eggs from raw, bring a medium pot of water to a boil and gently lower in the eggs (a spider strainer is useful here). Adjust the heat so that the water maintains an active bubble but doesn't spit or overflow. Cook the eggs for 10 minutes. Immediately lift eggs from the water and submerge them in a large bowl of ice water. Let sit until cooled (about 5 minutes). If you have an InstantPot, use the 5:5:5 method: Add 1 cup of water to the inner pot and place the eggs on the wire rack. Cook on high for 5 minutes, then pressure release for 5 minutes, and cool the eggs in an ice bath for 5 minutes. Pressure-cooked eggs are incredibly easily to peel. For both methods, refrigerate the eggs immediately if not using right away. ** I've made this macaroni salad with both sweet and dill pickle relish. They're both good, although I prefer the sweet relish. If you use dill, consider mixing 1/2 teaspoon of sugar right into the relish's measuring cup to cut the tartness of the pickles a little.
Keep the pasta salad refrigerated for up to 4 days. With its mayo, dairy, and egg ingredients, the salad should not sit unrefrigerated for more than two hours. If the pasta spends any time outdoors in the heat, leftovers should be discarded. No-waste tip: If you're entertaining at home, divide the macaroni salad into two batches. Keep one batch in the fridge while the second goes outdoors to the table. Replenish the outdoors batch as needed. Any leftovers in the fridge will be good for another meal (discard what's left out on the table). * To cook eggs from raw, bring a medium pot of water to a boil and gently lower in the eggs (a spider strainer is useful here). Adjust the heat so that the water maintains an active bubble but doesn't spit or overflow. Cook the eggs for 10 minutes. Immediately lift eggs from the water and submerge them in a large bowl of ice water. Let sit until cooled (about 5 minutes). If you have an InstantPot, use the 5:5:5 method: Add 1 cup of water to the inner pot and place the eggs on the wire rack. Cook on high for 5 minutes, then pressure release for 5 minutes, and cool the eggs in an ice bath for 5 minutes. Pressure-cooked eggs are incredibly easily to peel. For both methods, refrigerate the eggs immediately if not using right away. ** I've made this macaroni salad with both sweet and dill pickle relish. They're both good, although I prefer the sweet relish. If you use dill, consider mixing 1/2 teaspoon of sugar right into the relish's measuring cup to cut the tartness of the pickles a little.