There are almost as many ways to make a macaroni salad as there are to make a pizza. The beauty is that you can decide what goes in your salads just as easily as you can pick your favorite pizza toppings. Here’s what I call a winning macaroni salad.

Macaroni Salad

• 16 ounces macaroni, rotini or fusili
• 10 ounces frozen peas, thawed
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 6 ounces cheddar cheese, cubed
• 1 orange bell pepper, chopped
• 2 baby cucumbers, chopped
• 10 radishes, thinly sliced

Dressing

• 2/3 cup mayonnaise
• 2/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

• 2 tablespoons milk

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper

Cook macaroni in boiling water for 7 to 8 minutes until done. Drain and cool down with cold water, then drain again. Combine all the salad ingredients in a bowl. Combine the dressing ingredients and pour over the salad, mixing everything together. Refrigerate until serving.

This macaroni salad hits the spot when hunger strikes, with a little snack sized dish.

It pairs well with smoked pork ribs as well.

With the three people in our home who will eat this, keeping a big jar of macaroni salad accessible is a way to grab a quick homemade meal or snack on the go.

The ribs may be the star of the show, but this macaroni salad stands alone just fine.