I love macaroni salad especially when it has so much in it — celery, carrot, pickle relish, crushed pineapple, meat, cheese… I have to admit though that there are times when I want more — more color, more texture and more flavor. Bacon is the answer.
And I’m not just talking about bits of bacon tossed with the noodles. Sure, that will add color, texture and flavor to the salad but you can go a step farther. I’m talking about tossing the noodles in a tablespoon of bacon fat before everything else is added. You’d be surprised at how much difference one ingredient in such a small amount can make.
Bacon Macaroni Salad
You will need fatty bacon for this macaroni salad. Belly bacon. The kind that renders fat almost as soon as the rashers touch the surface of a hot pan. You will need only a tablespoonful of the flavorful fat, but don't worry if you get a lot more than that. You can set aside and chill what you won't use, and reserve it for another cooking project.
Ingredients
- 100 grams belly bacon
- 3 cups cooked macaroni
- ¼ cup chopped carrot (see notes after the recipe)
- ¾ cup cheese cubed (soft cheeses are particularly good for this salad)
- ½ cup crushed pineapple
- ¼ cup finely sliced scallions
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- salt to taste
- white pepper to taste
- sugar to taste
Instructions
- Cut the bacon into thin strips.
- Fry in an oil-free pan until browned.
- Scoop out the browned bacon and drain on a stack of paper towels.
- Measure a tablespoonful of the bacon fat and pour over the macaroni and toss thoroughly.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and stir.
- Chill the bacon macaroni salad before serving.
Notes
If you’re not a fan of raw carrot, peel your carrot and toss, uncut, into the pot of boiling pasta. Cook for five minutes, scoop out, drain, cool and chop.
Updated from a recipe originally published in May 23, 2016
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