DUNKLEY'S FAMOUS MACARONI SALAD

Filed Under Salads
Ingredients
1 (16 oz.) package salad macaroni
1 cup celery, diced
1/2 cup red onion, diced
1 cup cheddar cheese, cubed
1 cup Mozarella cheese, cubed
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 cup dill pickles, diced
1 cup salami, diced
1 (6 oz) can large pitted black olives, halved
1 tablespoon garlic salt
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh minced garlic
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1 (3 oz) jar diced pimentos, 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, 7-9 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 pasta dry out slightly.  Add pasta to a large bowl. Carefully fold in celery, onion, cheddar, Mozzarella, Parmesan, dill pickles, salami, and black olives. Mix the garlic salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and dry mustard together. Add spices to salad along with pimentos and minced garlic and stir to combine.  Refrigerate the mixture, loosely covered, for an hour or two.  Fold in 1 cup of mayonnaise to start.  Add up to a 1/2 cup more of mayonnaise if needed.  Refrigerate again until serving.

Let's Dish
Now that summer barbecue season is upon us, I thought it would be a good time to share this recipe.  I don't know who Dunkley is, but I have a hunch about why his pasta salad is so famous.  Because it's so good!  This is my go-to macaroni salad recipe.  When I want a classic pasta salad that's packed with lots of goodies and tons of flavor, I make this.  It's enough for a good-sized crowd, so it's great for summer potlucks and backyard parties.  You will be doing a fair bit of chopping and dicing, but it's all worth it in the end. 
 
Who Dished It Up First
Adapted from Food Network