Monday, March 31, 2014

Cheesy Picnic Pasta Salad




Tomorrow is National Grilled Cheese Month, YES, I will be making numerous grilled cheeses to post on the blog all month.


In honor of such a wonderful month I wanted to start off with something real cheesy!


My Picnic Pasta Salad is loaded with four cheeses, yes four. I added Swiss, Cheddar, Jack and Parmesan.

These are my favorites, remember we're cooking people, make this recipe your own and add whatever cheeses you prefer.


Next, for the veggies, I went with sliced black olives, dill pickles, bell peppers, red onion, garlic and celery. 

I've made this dish with zucchini, tomatoes, asparagus, artichokes and any other vegetables I had on hand before. 

I've also added Genoa Salami, talking about delicious!


Once you get all the prep work done, toss all the ingredients, along with the pasta into a large bowl, add the mayo and mix well. 

Chill this baby for about 3 hours or overnight if you prefer. 

If it appears dry the next morning, you got it, add more mayo!


This dish is picnic ready and don't forget it contains mayo, so make sure you pack it on ice and keep it chilled.

Enjoy!

Cheesy Picnic Pasta Salad

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 8-10

Ingredients:

3 cups large elbow macaroni, dried
1 3/4 cups mayonnaise
1 cup jack cheese, cubed
1 cup sharp cheese, cubed
1 cup Swiss cheese, cubed
1/2 cup parmigiano cheese, grated
1/2 cup red onion, diced
1/2 cup bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup celery, diced
1/2 cup kosher dill pickles, diced
1/2 cup black olives, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon creole seasoning
1/2 tablespoon black pepper
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder, dried
extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain, rinse in cold water, drain again, toss in a little extra virgin olive oil, allow pasta to sit while you prep the other ingredients.

Prep all ingredients, all to a large bowl, add pasta, mix well. Chill for about 3 hours or overnight.

Enjoy!

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