old fashioned macaroni salad with tomatoes and cucumbers

Stir occasionally as the ingredients heat. Then stir in all other ingredients except the grated cheese. In large, deep nonstick skillet, heat bacon grease over med-high and then add the onions and garlic until translucent. Ingredients: 3 dry cups elbow macaroni, 1/3 diced onion, 2 small garlic cloves diced, 1 can whole peeled tomatoes (drained and then gently crushed when you add to the pan while cooking), 1 can diced tomatoes (drained), 1 can artichoke hearts (drained and cut into smaller pieces), 1 polska sausage (cut into bite size pieces), 1/2 small jar of pineapple salsa from Aldi’s, fresh grated gourmet cheese (we used 1/4 cup Vermont white cheddar), 2T bacon grease.Ĭook the elbow macaroni as usual, drain and set aside. The idea came to me as I was (a) hungry for macaroni and tomatoes, and (b) trying to use some leftovers including part of a jar of salsa we opened last night with tacos. This was so simple and yet the flavors came together perfectly, a terrific and easy dinner. – Lawyer SmithīUSY MOMS AND MR MOMS CAN THANK ME LATER for my personal spin on “tomato macaroni”… takes 15-20 minutes and serves 4-5 people. I look forward to trying your other recipes. Thank you Stacey for the inspiring recipe! I used it as the start for my own variation pasted below… it was really good. In this case I think it’s just a matter of what you’re used to and if you’re used to this dish being sweet, then by golly you should add in some sugar.

I’d start by adding about 1 teaspoon of regular ol’ white sugar at the end with the salt and pepper and then add more to suit your tastes. I happen to like that acidity, but if that’s not your thing you can certainly add some sugar to the mix. And while I don’t care for it with the sugar myself, many folks say it helps to reduce the acidity of the tomatoes. In all my time eating this dish, sugar is probably the most common other ingredient. Which brings me to another ingredient… sugar. I like it pretty simple and straightforward. Some folks add onions, some add green peppers, and some add cheese on top.

And the bacon grease, while it can be replaced with butter, is required for me because it gives the dish it’s signature savory, smoky flavor. And I actually prefer the flavor of the canned variety in this one. Canned tomatoes make it easy and perfect as a year-round dish. With this, three ingredients are a must in my book – canned tomatoes, macaroni, and bacon grease.

And while there are tons of variations, the basic recipe pretty much stays the same. Simple Macaroni and Tomatoes is a classic dish many folks remember from their childhoods.

Old fashioned macaroni salad with tomatoes and cucumbers