Redneck Tater and Pasta salad – Redneck Cooking

Well, with this weekend being the official start of the summer camping and grilling season, I thought I would post my favorite grilling menu. This is part one of my Memorial Day feast. Now my wife loves potato salad and I prefer macaroni salad. I decided to combine the two to make us both happy, and my Redneck tater and pasta salad was born.

I always make my Redneck salad the night before the big dinner. It stores well in the fridge and keeps you out of the kitchen and at the grill on Memorial Day. This is a good side dish for any time, but it just seems to go really well with grilled burgers, or brats or steaks.

Redneck Tater and Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

1 dozen eggs, boiled
1 pound of potatoes, boiled or baked
1 1lb pack of shell macaroni
1 large onion
1 large red bell pepper
1 large green bell pepper
1/2 a jar of dill pickles
1/2 a jar of mayonnaise
mustard
salt and pepper

Put the eggs in a pan of lukewarm water and place on the stove over a medium-high heat. Once the water begins to boil, let the eggs cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the eggs from the stove and cool them in a cold water bath. Once the eggs are cooled, peel and dice them into a large mixing bowl.

I prefer to boil the potatoes as well. Peel and halve the potatoes. Put them in a pan and cover with water. Add a dash of salt. Cook the potatoes along with the eggs. Dice the potatoes and add them to the eggs in the bowl.

Next is the macaroni. Add a splash of vegetable oil and a dash of salt to a pan of water and bring to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook to the desired tenderness. Drain the noodles and add them to the eggs and potatoes.

Dice the dill pickles and add them to the bowl.

Dice the onion and peppers and add them to the bowl.

Pour a few tablespoons of the pickle juice over the ingredients in the mixing bowl.

Salt and pepper to taste. Add the mayonnaise and some mustard. The amount of mustard you add will depend on how well you like mustard. A little mustard goes a long way so add a small amount at first and add a little more if needed. Mix everything together and cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and place in the refrigerator.

Top with your favorite seasoning just before serving for the perfect presentation.