Ham Pasta Salad - A delightful blend of tender pasta, savory ham, hard-boiled eggs, crisp peas, celery and onion, tossed in a flavorful, creamy ranch dressing.
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If you’re in search of the perfect pasta salad recipe for a summer cookout or busy weeknight dinner, look no further! This simple and fresh Ham Pasta Salad has an amazing variety of textures and flavors that are great for any occasion.
This recipe is super easy to throw together and there’s no need to use the oven or fuss over complicated ingredients! It’s a great option for any potluck or picnic and is sure to impress anyone who gives it a try!
HOW TO MAKE MACARONI SALAD WITH HAM
Before you get started, make sure to grab the following ingredients:
- Elbows pasta
- Frozen peas
- Hard boiled eggs
- Diced celery
- Diced red onion
- Diced ham
- Diced Colby cheese
- Miracle Whip
- Milk
- Ranch dressing
- Sugar
- Paprika
- Salt
- Pepper
Once you’ve gathered all your ingredients, follow the steps below for a delicious summertime dish!
PREPARING THE HAM AND CHEESE PASTA SALAD
- In a large mixing bowl, combine cooked pasta, frozen peas, eggs, celery, and red onion.
- Add the ham and eggs.
- Stir well.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk Miracle whip, milk, ranch, sugar, paprika, salt, and pepper until smooth.
- Pour mixture over top of salad and mix well. Serve chilled.
TIPS FOR MAKING HAM & MACARONI SALAD
- Don't forget to salt the water you're boiling the pasta in so that it has enough flavor!
- When you're in a pinch, this is a great way to use up any leftover ham you have. Just cut it into small cubes and enjoy!
- To incorporate different twists of flavor, consider adding corn, bell peppers, sliced black olives, or cherry tomatoes. They're all tasty options.
- To get the pasta just right, cook it until it's tender without overcooking. After it's done, drain, rinse with cold water, and let it cool before adding the dressing to ensure it sticks to the pasta.
WHAT SUBSTITUTIONS CAN BE MADE FOR THIS HAM & PEA PASTA SALAD?
To change this recipe up a little bit, there are many options for add-ins and substitutions. For one, you can use homemade ranch instead of store-bought for extra flavor.
You can also change up the cheese and use other variations or combinations.
Many people also add some lemon zest to the salad for an extra punch of flavor. And if you're looking to switch out the ham with something else, tuna, shrimp, and chicken are all great options!
WHAT NOODLES WORK BEST IN HAM PASTA SALAD?
Elbows or macaroni pasta works best for this recipe, but some other great options include penne, rotini, or medium shells.
Just be sure that the pasta you are using has enough grooves or holes so that the dressing will cling to the noodles.
CAN I MAKE HAM PASTA SALAD AHEAD OF TIME?
This macaroni salad with ham can be made up to a day in advance and stored in the refrigerator.
Just be sure to keep some of the dressing to the side to add to the pasta salad just before serving to freshen up the salad.
WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO STORE THIS HAM PASTA SALAD RECIPE?
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
I wouldn't recommend freezing this salad because the pasta and vegetables can get mushy and the dressing can harden up and separate after thawing.
MORE PASTA SALAD RECIPES YOU'LL LOVE
- Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
- Caprese Bowtie Pasta Salad
- Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
- Tuna Pasta Salad
- Caprese Pasta Salad
- Cheddar Broccoli Pasta Salad
Ham Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 24 ounces elbows pasta (cooked according to package directions)
- 12 ounce bag frozen peas (thawed)
- 3 hard boiled eggs (chopped)
- ½ cup diced celery
- ½ cup diced red onion
- 1 ½ cups diced ham
- ½ cup diced Colby cheese
- 1 ½ cup Miracle Whip
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup ranch dressing
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine cooked pasta, frozen peas, eggs, celery, and red onion.
- Add ham and eggs. Stir well.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk Miracle whip, milk, ranch, sugar, paprika, salt, and pepper until smooth.
- Pour mixture over top of salad and mix well.
- Serve chilled.
Notes
- While your pasta water is boiling, add in a dash of salt for extra flavor.
- This is a great recipe to add extra veggies to. Add in corn, black olives, cherry tomatoes and chopped bell peppers.
- When your macaroni is done cooking, rinse it with cold water to stop the cooking.
- Let your pasta cool completely so the dressing sticks to the pasta.
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