And If you follow a vegan or healthy diet, we’ve added alternate ingredients that will allow you to enjoy this macaroni salad recipe. For the complete Hawaiian experience, be sure to try our other recipes, such as Malasadas (Hawaii’s version of donuts), Haupia (Hawaiian coconut pudding), and Huli-Huli Chicken (Hawaiian grilled chicken). The macaroni salad, especially, hit home and suddenly made me wonder why we haven’t gotten a good Hawaiian mac salad recipe here on Favorite Family Recipes yet! There are a few other ingredients you can add like celery, extra onion, potatoes, fresh crab, or relish, but the basic recipe is my favorite. Once you start getting into adding ham or pineapple, you are getting way off course. Adding ham or pineapple to something does not make it “Hawaiian Food”. Pineapple and ham have no business being in a Hawaiian mac salad. EVER.
To Rinse or Not to Rinse
This is the great debate. I used to always just let the noodles cool naturally but now I have no problem giving the macaroni a cool rinse and letting it drain before adding the other ingredients. It’s the ONLY time I will ever rinse noodles. I have found that when I rinse the noodles and stop the cooking process quickly, the dressing doesn’t get absorbed by the noodles near as much and I end up with a creamer mac salad. I have experimented both ways and haven’t noticed any difference in flavor. You will get a likeness of mac salad but I am telling you, it won’t be quite the same. In Hawaii, it’s all about the mayo. As far as the BRAND of mayo, it has got to be Best Foods. Period. No other mayo will taste right. Loco MocoChicken Long RiceHawaiian Teriyaki ChickenHawaiian Beef TeriyakiSpam MusubiHaupiaMalasadasChocolate Haupia Pie We want to hear from you! Please leave a review. Rate and Review
