Dunkley's Famous Macaroni Salad

Recipe courtesy Craig Dunkley

Show: Calling All CooksEpisode: Stuffed Cabbage/Baked Pizza

Rated: 5 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (75)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(75)

Cook Time:
3 hr 0 min
Level:
--
Yield:
24 servings

Times:

Prep: 40 min
Inactive Prep: --
Cook: 3 hr 0 min
Total:: 3 hr 40 min

Recipe Tools:

Select a Card Size

Add To My Recipe Box

Success

This recipe was added to your Folder_Name folder.

Do not show this message again

Add To My Recipe Box

Please sign in to add this recipe to your Recipe Box.

Ingredients

1 (16-ounce) package salad macaroni (or ditali pasta)
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup red onion, diced
1 cup yellow or white onion, diced
1 cup medium cheddar, diced
1 cup Swiss cheese, diced
1/2 cup Parmesan, grated
1 cup dill pickles, diced
1 cup salami, diced
1 (6-ounce) can large pitted black olives, drained (or 1 cup diced or sliced)
1 to 2 tablespoons Lowry's garlic salt
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh minced garlic
1/4 teasspoon dried horseradish
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 to 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1 (3-ounce) jar diced pimentos, rinsed and drained
1 to 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise

Directions

Add 2 quarts of water to a medium stockpot and bring to a boil. Add macaroni and cook until it is al dente, approximately 9 minutes. Do not overcook the pasta or it will fall apart when the salad is tossed together. Rinse macaroni until cool. Drain well and let it dry out slightly.

Add pasta to a large bowl. Carefully fold in celery, onion, cheddar, Swiss cheese, Parmesan, dill pickles, salami, and black olives. Refrigerate the mixture, uncovered, overnight (or refrigerate for at least 2 hours).

Mix the Lowry's garlic salt, minced garlic, white pepper, black pepper, cayenne pepper, dry mustard and celery salt together. Add to salad. Fold in the pimentos. Fold in 1 cup of mayonnaise to start. Add up to a 1/2 cup more of mayonnaise if needed. Refrigerate again for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

The recipes for this program, which were provided by contributors and guests who may not be professional chefs, have not been tested in the Food Network's kitchens. Therefore, the Food Network cannot attest to the accuracy of any of the recipes

Next Recipe

More recipes? Try these recommendations:

Similar Recipe

1905 Salad

Similar Recipes

Recipes Like This

All About…

Recipe Collections

Showing 1-10 of 25

View all 25 Salad Collections

Comments & Reviews

recipe Dunkley's Famous Macaroni Salad
Amanda Merced, CA 09-26-2009
Flag

Cut back on the garlic...
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I followed this recipe exactly. It's wonderful with all the flavor combinations. I would however cut back on the garlic. I... went for the 2 tbs. because sometines macaroni salad can be quite bland. NOT this one. I added a little sour cream the next day to "cool" it down a bit. I would suggest mixing a small portion before the whole salad to see what needs to be added to calm it down a bit. Maybe stay on the light side of spices so you don't have to calm it down.. Overall I think it's the most flavorful macaroni salad I've ever tasted.Read more
recipe Dunkley's Famous Macaroni Salad
Martha provo , UT 06-09-2009
Flag

oh my garlic!
Rated: 3 stars out of 5

I made this recipe and I added 2 Tablespoons of garlic powder and 2 Tablespoons of garlic paste from the tube and HOLY HECK... ALL I CAN TASTE IS GARLIC! I love garlic but this is so hot! I only let it sit for one hour. I think it will not be edible tomorrow. I used fresh horseradish instead of powdered because I did not have it. But I just wanted to warn people not to use the garlic paste because it is super, super, concentrated! I will try making this again. I may just make another batch and add it to the pot and double the sauce but omit the garlic and see if that does not fix the GARLIC HEAT PROBLEM! On the upside my husband loves it, but I couldn't even eat one cup of it. And I love garlic toast. Cross your fingers. Read more
recipe Dunkley's Famous Macaroni Salad
DAVE TOLEDO, OH 05-27-2009
Flag

Everyone Asks For the Recipe
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I've made this for a couple of family gatherings and each time, various in-laws have asked for the recipe...isn't this why we... cook? The best two things about this particular recipe are the combination of spices and that it is ready-to-serve when completed...no "the-mac-salad-will-always-taste-beeter-the-next-day" waiting. I made a substitution of Campanelle pasta and it really works well for texture with the dressing.Read more
recipe Dunkley's Famous Macaroni Salad
Sandy San Diego, CA 04-06-2009
Flag

PERFECT SPICE DELICIOUS!!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I'm always asked to bring the pasta or macaroni salad to our family's Palm Sunday picinic. I've made some very good salads... over the years but thought I'd look at the Food Network recipes for something new. Dunkley's Famous Macaroni Salad jummed out at me because of the 70 something reviews... most rated 5 stars. The ingredients looked great on paper! I made this wonderful salad...cut the onions by 1/4 each and used 1 tablespoon garlic salt but followed the rest of the recipe exactly. (I found the dried horesradish at Whole Foods market). It was a huge success!! It is, as stated, addictive... there were only 15 of us, the salad was almost gone!! I'll make it again and again!!Read more
recipe Dunkley's Famous Macaroni Salad
Stacey Chicago, IL 03-23-2009
Flag

Hum...
Rated: 3 stars out of 5

I was excited to try this because of all the great reviews and reading the ingredients made my mouth water! Love all the... cheeses, salami, pickles and other ingredients. As published, the original recipe is awful...way too much cayenne pepper, white pepper and black pepper. Tried it again using about half as much as the lowest recomended measure of all the peppers and it is great! Also used garlic powder insetad of garlic salt, and prepared horseradish not the paste. Used one cup of white onions bc the onion also overpowered the original dish. Even the kids loved the altered version. Only giving 3 stars bc the original was not good. Adjusted the spices and it was delicious!Read more
recipe Dunkley's Famous Macaroni Salad
ANITA WINTHROP HARBOR, IL 01-09-2009
Flag

WOW! I can't believe I found this recipe!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I got this recipe years ago and wrote it down as I watched. I never made it until this Christmas and everyone loved it! I... never realized I had left out the swiss cheese, dill pickles, salami and pimentos. I'm excited to add those the next time I make it. I used slightly less onion when I made it and I also used half mayo and half miracle whip. I thought that gave it a better zing. I couldn't find dried horseradish so I used prepared horseradish. I was pleased with the results of this salad because it was different. And am so excited to find the actual recipe!Read more