Creamy Pasta Salad loaded with vegetables, ham and cheese.

Hi friends!  The weather is warming up and my hubby and I have already grilled a few times. I’m talking about ribs, brisket, and of course burgers! Whenever I grill, I always make sure to have a few fabulous side dishes on hand. One of my favorite cookout side dishes to make is Pasta Salad. In this post, I’m going to show you how to make a delicious Summer Pasta Salad.

Whenever I made summer pasta salad, it’s almost to pretty to eat. The colors from the carrots, ham, peas, and other ingredients make the salad absolutely gorgeous. Not only is this salad a ” looker”, it taste amazing!

For my summer pasta salad, I use salad macaroni pasta. You can use a different pasta if you choose. Here are some suggestions

• Penne
• Elbow macaroni
• Rotini
• Tri colored pasta
• Small pasta shells

When cooking the pasta, be sure to not over cook it, otherwise that will really mess up your pasta salad. Cook the pasta until it is al dente.

I made a really simple dressing for my pasta salad. The dressing I make includes Miracle Whip. I like using Miracle Whip, because it’s really smooth creamy, and on the sweeter side. If you’re not a fan of Miracle Whip, you can use your favorite mayonnaise.

Let me show you how I made my Summer Pasta Salad

Get the recipe here

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Summer Pasta Salad

Ingredients

• 4 cups cooked macaroni pasta
• 1 & 2/3 cup of Miracle Whip
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup cubed or diced cooked ham
• 1/4 cup peas
• 1/4 cup diced carrots
• 1/4 cup diced red onion
• 1/4 cup diced sweet peppers
• 1/2 cup cubed cheddar cheese
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• *1/4 cup chopped green onions optional... for garnishing

Instructions

1. Make sure that you cook the pasta until it is nice and al dente. Be sure to not over cook the pasta.
2. In a large mixing bowl, add in the Miracle Whip, and milk. Mix until it's nice and creamy.
3. Next, toss in the pasta ( make sure that the pasta is cold before adding it in!).
4. Stir in the pasta, and make sure that it is nicely coated with the dressing.
5. Next add in the peas, onions, carrots, sweet peppers, ham, and cheddar cheese.
6. Sprinkle in the salt and pepper, then fold all of the ingredients in.
7. Cover the pasta salad, and place it in the refrigerator until it is nice and cold.
8. *Garnish with green onions, and serve!