Easy Meal: Macaroni Salad

As the title implies, this is actually a very easy meal to make. The thing I like about it (aside from the fact that it is very cheap) is that you can have it for almost any meal of the day.

Another really nice thing about macaroni salad is that you can add just about anything you want to it. It can be vegetarian, it can have meat, and it also really doesn't matter what vegetables you add - or  what kind of pasta, for that matter.

Things you'll need:


1 medium-sized pot
1 large bowl
1 strainer
1 large spoon

Essential Ingredients:


1 lb. macaroni pasta (or whatever kind of pasta you have laying around)
About 1/4 cup olive oil or up to 1/2 cup mayo
About 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
Assorted meats and/or vegetables

Optional Ingredients:


This list could pretty much go on for days, since everyone's macaroni salad is different. However, I will list the types of things that I like to add.

Green and black olives
Pickles
Carrots
Tomatoes
Celery
Chickpeas
Genoa Salami
Pepperoni
Parmesan and Mozzarella Cheese
Salt
Pepper
Italian Seasoning
Garlic Powder

As I said before, you don't have to stick to this list.

Step 1.
Boil the pasta in the medium-sized pot.

Step 2.
While the pasta is boiling, slice up whatever vegetables, meats and cheese you are going to use.

Step 3. 
Once the pasta is done boiling, put it in the strainer and rinse it with cold water.

Step 4. 
After the pasta is sufficiently rinsed, dump it all into the large bowl.

Step 5.
Add all of the chopped vegetables, meats and cheeses to the bowl of  pasta.

Step 6.
Add balsamic vinegar or mayo.

Step 7.
Season the salad with salt, pepper, garlic powder, etc.

Step 8. 
Stir the pasta well so that all of the ingredients are coated with the seasoning and vinegar. You can always add more of anything as you see fit if it looks like there isn't enough to cover everything.

Step 9. 
Add the olive oil and stir again. Note: I always add the oil last, because adding it before you season everything will reduce the effectiveness of the seasonings, as the oil will sort of 'repel' everything.

Step 10.
Enjoy!


This is a meal that you can have at home, or easily take it on the go in a zip-top bag.