Mac & Cheese Pasta Salad

Mac & Cheese Pasta Salad – transform a box of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese into the most delicious pasta salad EVER!!! Mac and Cheese mix, mayonnaise, celery, green bell pepper, green onions, and pimentos. Seriously delicious! I took this to a potluck and everyone gobbled it up. Nobody could believe that it started with a blue box of mac & cheese! Give this a try ASAP!

bowl of mac & cheese pasta salad

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Easy Cheesy Pasta Salad

This recipe came from my Mom. She found it one of her cookbooks and sent me the recipe. She said that Plain Chicken readers needed this recipe! This Mac & Cheese Pasta Salad starts with a box of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. I know what you are thinking. I was thinking it too, BUT this is really, really good! We were both shocked at how delicious this tasted.

spoonful of cheesy pasta salad

How to Make Mac & Cheese Pasta Salad

This Mac & Cheese Pasta Salad is super easy to make and would be great for any upcoming tailgates or Labor Day cookouts. Start with cooking the pasta. Combine contents of cheese packet, mayonnaise, celery, green bell pepper, green onions, pimentos, salt, and pepper. Toss the cooked pasta with mayonnaise mixture and chill until ready to serve.

  • You can make this a day in advance and refrigerate the pasta salad until you are ready to serve.
  • I used a box of Original Kraft Macaroni & Cheese. You can substitute a box of Thick & Creamy or Three Cheese. Do NOT use the Deluxe Kraft Macaroni & Cheese.
  • Feel free to add any vegetables to the pasta salad that you prefer – onions, olives, green peas, carrots.
bowl of mac & cheese pasta salad

What to Serve with Macaroni Salad

You must make this pasta salad ASAP. It is crazy good!!! We ate this with lunch for two days in a row. Who knew that a childhood favorite could be transformed into the BEST pasta salad EVER! This goes with everything – chicken, pork, beef. Here are a few of our favorite recipes from the blog that go great with this macaroni salad:

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bowl of mac & cheese pasta salad

Mac & Cheese Pasta Salad

Yield: 6 people
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Mac & Cheese Pasta Salad – transform a box of mac & cheese into the most delicious pasta salad EVER!!! Mac and Cheese mix, mayonnaise, celery, green bell pepper, green onions, and pimentos. Seriously delicious! I took this to a potluck and everyone gobbled it up. Nobody could believe that it started with a blue box of mac & cheese! Give this a try ASAP!

Ingredients:

  • 1 (7.5-oz) box Original Kraft Macaroni & Cheese
  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • 1 cup diced celery
  • ½ green bell pepper, diced
  • 1 (2-oz) jar diced pimentos, drained
  • 2 green onions, chopped
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • dash black pepper

Instructions:

  • Boil macaroni as directed on package. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
  • Combine contents of cheese packet, mayonnaise, celery, green bell pepper, green onions, pimentos, salt and pepper.
  • Toss pasta with mayonnaise mixture.
  • Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Notes:

  • You can make this a day in advance and refrigerate the pasta salad until you are ready to serve.
  • I used a box of Original Kraft Macaroni & Cheese. You can substitute a box of Thick & Creamy or Three Cheese. Do NOT use the Deluxe Kraft Macaroni & Cheese.
  • Feel free to add any vegetables to the pasta salad that you prefer – onions, olives, green peas, carrots.

Steph

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spoonful of cheesy pasta salad

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Comments

  1. I made this 2 months ago to go with ‘pigs in a blanket’ hot dogs for a homeless shelter dinner. The guests raved about the salad, one guy saying it was the best pasta salad he’d ever eaten. I’m making it again this Friday because it’s going to be another warm day. Thanks for the great recipe. I found it by accident when looking for an alternative to Mac and cheese

  2. I made this last summer and the whole family loved it! I was sure that you prepared the mac and cheese as directed on the box, then added the mayo and veggies. I was a bit afraid to do it per this recipe, but finally I did. I added less celery, added more red, orange and yellow bell pepper, and along with the green onions, added some thawed frozen peas because we like them in our pasta salad. It was so good! I’m ready to make it again for a potluck because I know it will be a hit!

  3. Have you ever added rotisserie chicken? I had such a recipe but can’t find it now.
    I remember it started with a box of Kraft mac and cheese.

  4. I’ve been trying to find this recipe for over 40 years! My mom found this recipe in one of her magazines, Women’s Day or Family Circle, in the mid 70’s. We loved it then and I’m super excited to make it again! Has anyone used Miracle Whip as substitute for the Mayonnaise? My folks always used Miracle Whip. I don’t want to ruin the recipe, but want that memory of my mama! Maybe use half of each? Thanks for sharing this!!!

    1. I think it would be just fine with Miracle Whip if that is what you like. They are basically the same thing. Enjoy!

  5. We loved it. After children moved out we found boxes of mac and cheese in pantry that we would not eat and saw this and we tried it. Loved it. Easy and we added any veggies we wanted.
    Thanks for posting this 🙂

  6. Give it a try, it is very good! After all every one has those blue boxes of mac and cheese in their home.

  7. Your mom probably got this out of the same cookbook I did twenty years ago. I’m so glad I found this. I told my mother I wanted to make it for 4th of July, but I only had a basic memory of it. Now I’m sure I was dong it right.

    1. This recipe is for the box with the dry cheese mix. Using a packet of already prepared cheese sauce won’t yield the same results. You will have WAY too much sauce for the pasta. I don’t suggest it, but it is your kitchen.

  8. Made this for Labor Day cookout, it was gone before anything else. Made as directed but added extra fresh veggies that were in the fridge. Will definitely make this again !!!

  9. I made this for my family reunion. The celery seemed to take it over and I do like celery. Next time, I will use less celery or add another box of macaroni and cheese. Great otherwise.

  10. Kraft Original Mac & Cheese with dry (powdered) cheese packet or the delux with the liquid cheese packet?

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