Ham & Cheese Pasta Salad Recipe
A lovely blend of tender pasta, savory ham and cheese, tossed with crunchy pickles and a tangy dressing. The perfect ham & cheese pasta salad for picnics or lunches!
This is absolutely the best Ham & Cheese Pasta Salad that you have ever had! Super easy to make, creamy and seriously delicious.
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I am a huge fan of pasta salads, I feel like they are the perfect summer staple. They pair well with all of the grilled things like these venison steaks, smoked burgers and grilled salmon.
Let’s talk pasta salad!
If you think that this salad looks good then you should check out this Greek Orzo Salad and Dill Pickle Pasta Salad.
This pasta salad is the perfect make ahead side dish for summer events or parties. It can be prepared the night before and stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
Ham & Cheese Pasta Salad
Ingredients:
Start with a few simple ingredients from the grocery store.
- Elbow macaroni pasta, cooked according to package directions
- Cheddar cheese, cubed
- Cooked ham, cubed
- Dill pickles, diced
- Green onion stalks, diced
- Mayonnaise
- Dill pickle juice
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
1. In a large pot bring 6 cups of water to a boil. Add elbow pasta and cook for 10 minutes or until pasta is cooked al dente. Drain the pasta, rinse with cold water and allow to cool completely. This makes about 4 cups of cooked pasta.
2. Dice the pickles, cheese, ham and green onion.
3. In a large mixing bowl combine cold pasta, pickle, ham and cheese.
4. In a small bowl combine mayonnaise, pickle juice, salt and pepper.
5. Add the dressing to the large bowl of pasta and mix well.
6. Top with green onion and serve.
Each tangy bite of miracle whip, perfect pasta, ham and cheese is even better the next day. The creamy flavor can be perfectly preserved with plastic wrap over the bowl and served with your next summer meal.
This delicious pasta salad recipe joins my classic potato salad in our summer salad rotation!
Macaroni salad options:
While the original ham & cheese pasta salad recipe is a crowd pleaser you may want to mix it up!
- Try adding sharp cheddar cheese, colby jack cheese or mozza!
- Use a different type of pasta like bowtie pasta or orzo for a different look.
- Add red onion, cherry tomatoes, crispy bacon or other fresh veggies for a whole different flavor.
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Kitchen essentials for cooking:
- These Rubbermade containers are perfect for storing and packing food.
- These silicone tongs are perfect for flipping and grasping food.
- This Henckel Knife is my favorite for slicing and dicing in the kitchen.
- I love using this non-stick bakeware for all of my baking.
Quite honestly this is my favorite salad for summer – its the perfect balance of creamy dressing and hearty pasta. I love, love, love the flavour profile of this delicious pasta salad!
This is sure to become one of your favorite summer salads – a crowd pleaser for certain!
If you love this ham & cheese pasta salad recipe please give it a five star review and share it on Facebook and Pinterest so that others can enjoy it too!
Ham & Cheese Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 170 g 4 cups cooked elbow macaroni pasta, cooked according to package directions
- 1 cup cheddar cheese cubed
- 1 1/2 cups cooked ham cubed
- 2 dill pickles diced
- 2 green onion stalks diced
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 Tbsp dill pickle juice
- 1/2 tsp salt and pepper
Instructions
- In a large pot bring 6 cups of water to a boil. Add elbow pasta and cook for 10 minutes or until pasta is cooked al dente. Drain the pasta, rinse with cold water and allow to cool completely.
- Dice the pickles, cheese, ham and green onion.
- In a large mixing bowl combine cold pasta, pickle, ham and cheese.
- In a small bowl combine mayonnaise, pickle juice, salt and pepper.
- Add the dressing to the large bowl of pasta and mix well.
- Top with green onion and serve.
Nutrition
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