I know it’s Spring when I start craving this macaroni pasta salad. It’s May 5th, and that means it’s Cinco de Mayo! Time to get the BBQ grill going, the drinks and music flowing, and lots of yummy sides to choose from.

This macaroni salad is put together with simple pantry ingredients. I use a store bought roasted chicken to cut down on time. Our local markets have really good organic roasted chickens in the deli section. Store bought roasted chicken is very versatile and can be utilized for many dishes when you’re short on time. Then there’s pasta–and we all know how much I love pasta. The great thing about this pasta salad is that it will feed your guests and you’ll have some left over for work. Fantastico! Trust me, this is so easy, you’ll have it done in no time. Let’s eat.

Here is the recipe:

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minute

Servings: 6-8

Ingredients:

• ½ store bought roasted chicken, shredded
• ½ yellow onion, diced small
• 2 garlic cloves, mince
• 1 cup of mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp of yellow mustard
• 1 Tbsp of Worcestershire sauce
• Salt, to taste
• Cracked black pepper
• Roasted red pepper
• 3 stalks of celery, chopped
• 2 cups of macaroni pasta, cooked
• ½ cup of frozen peas and carrots mix, cooked

Directions:

1. Boil the macaroni pasta as per the package. Alternatively, in a pot of well salted boiling water, cook the macaroni pasta for 7-8 minutes. Drain, rinse and set aside.
2. Use a large bowl and add the onion, garlic, mayonnaise, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and cooked pasta. Stir to combine.
3. Now fold in the chopped chicken.
4. Then add the cooked peas, carrots and celery.
5. Gently mix everything together.
6. Finally add the roasted red peppers, salt and pepper.
7. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.