Macaroni Salad is one of the Filipino-favorite holiday dishes. With a savory flavor profile, it is the opposite of the sweet fruit salad which can mostly be seen during Christmas season. Equally as special, and also a familiar BER-months staple, this salad will surely rekindle fun memories with family and friends.
Despite being seen as purely white, this macaroni salad carries with it an array of flavors. In this recipe, rather than only making use of mayonnaise to coat the macaroni and chunks of chicken, there is an addition of cream cheese to add a layer of richness. Doing this ensures that its dressing is even more flavorful, and with the addition of pickle relish and pineapple, its flavor profile becomes even more unique.
Chunky Chicken Macaroni Salad
Ingredients
Set A:
- 400 g. elbow macaroni
- 400 g. chicken breast
- 2 Tbsps. salt
- 1 pc. carrot
- Water
Set B:
- 1 pc. onion
- 1 whole cheese
- 1 cup pickle relish
- 5 Tbsps. vinegar
- 1/2 pc. cream cheese
- 1/4 cup Nestle All-Purpose Cream
- 3 cups mayonnaise
- 1 cup pineapple
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a pot, boil the water. Season with salt. Add the elbow macaroni and let it cook for 8-9 minutes.
- While the macaroni is cooking, prepare the chicken. Separate the skin from the meat, then cut it into large chunks. Season with salt.
- After preparing the chicken, prepare the carrot. Start by peeling the skin off, then dicing it into small chunks.
- Once the macaroni spent ample time cooking in the pot, add the chicken. Let it cook for 3 minutes. Add the carrots after letting the chicken cook for a bit.
- When everything is cooked, pour it through a colander to strain it, then let water run through it to stop the cooking. After rinsing it for a bit, place a bowl under it to catch the excess water, then let it rest for 15 – 20 minutes to allow it to cool down.
- Once the macaroni mixture has cooled, prepare the rest of the ingredients. Mince the onions and dice the cheese. Set the cheese aside.
- When you have finished preparing the rest of the ingredients, prepare the dressing. In a bowl, add the onions, pickle relish, and red bell pepper. Season with salt, sugar, and vinegar. Mix it all together. Add cream cheese, Nestle All-Purpose Cream, and mayonnaise. Season with white pepper. Mix, until everything is dissolved.
- After giving the dressing a taste to ensure that it is seasoned well, add the pineapple bits and cheese, then put the macaroni mixture in. Mix until everything is coated.
This appetizing salad can be enjoyed at any time as it is easy to prepare, and only a few of its ingredients need to be cooked. With the macaroni still having a bite due to it being cooked to al dente, the bouncy fluffiness of the chicken, and the subtle crunch of the carrots, are all balanced by the smoothness of the rich dressing.
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