Garden Macaroni Salad

I have been busy this week preparing for my eldest daughter 'H's birthday celebration, which I am hosting. Today I have prepared this delicious Garden Macaroni Salad to serve tomorrow at the party. I thought I would take a much needed break to sit down and share the recipe with you. I serve this salad at every BBQ because everyone requests it. I always have to make extra so they can take some home.

Garden Macaroni Salad

serves 6-8

2 cups elbow, salad, or tiny shell macaroni (Dry measure)

1 cup chopped cucumber (seeds removed)

1/2 cup chopped green, red, or yellow pepper

1/2 cup radish slices

2 Tbsp finely chopped sweet white onion

1 8oz pkg cream cheese

1/4 cup sweet relish (if desired)

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 Tbsp yellow mustard

Cook macaroni according to directions. While macaroni is cooking, start chopping cucumber, pepper, radish, and sweet onion and remove cream cheese from refrigerator.

Chop the vegetables rather small for easier eating. Put cucumber, pepper, and radish in a separate bowl, cover and refrigerate.

When macaroni is done, drain and return to hot pan. Immediately cut cream cheese into small hunks and drop into hot macaroni. The heat will melt the cream cheese.  Lightly stir cream cheese into macaroni and cover pan and let sit a few minutes. When cream cheese is melted, thoroughly blend macaroni and cream cheese together.

Add onion, mayonnaise, mustard and salt. (Add sweet relish, also, if desired) Mix well and cover and put in refrigerator until cool, about 30 minutes.

When cool, add vegetables and blend well.

Transfer to a pretty bowl for serving and dig in!