A Pinoy Christmas doesn’t truly start until the macaroni salad arrives at the dinner table. It comes in many variations, depending on your flavor preferences: sweet, classic Pinoy mac salads have fruits like pineapple and jelly-like kaong (palm fruit); savory salads pack proteins like ham and chicken.
This low-carb macaroni salad is all about the cheese, which makes it richer, creamier, and healthier than your usual mayo-based salad.
Arla Cheesy Spread, made with 90% real cow’s milk, binds everything better than vegetable oil-based mayonnaise. On top, more cheese: crumbled Arla Apetina White Cheese, scattered like snow, adds a soft contrast to the salty, crispy bacon bits.
It looks just like your usual Christmas mac salad, but with a cheese-forward flavor and a richer bite. If you prefer it sweeter, add more sugar or honey to the dressing.
Don’t stop at mac salad. Enjoy the fresh taste of Arla’s natural cheeses in these other levelled-up pastas:
- Three Cheese Cashew Pesto
- Cheesy Pinoy Spaghetti
- Lasagna with Crispy Cheese Crust
- Better Pinoy Carbonara with Cream Cheese
Ingredients
Cheesy Macaroni Salad
- 500g elbow macaroni
- 1 cup Arla Cheesy Spread
- 1 cup sour cream
- juice from ½ lemon
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp white sugar
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 2 green onion stalks, white part only, chopped
- 2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
- 1 large red bell pepper, diced
For Serving
- 8 strips bacon
- ½ cup Arla Apetina White Cheese
Cook macaroni: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add elbow macaroni and cook to package instructions until very tender, not al dente. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Let cool for about 10 minutes.
Make cheesy dressing: In a separate mixing bowl, combine Arla Cheesy Spread, sour cream, lemon juice, rice vinegar, Dijon mustard, and white sugar. Season with salt and pepper. Add celery, green onions, chopped eggs, and red bell pepper. Fold ingredients until well combined.
Toss macaroni: Pour cheesy dressing over the cooked macaroni. Toss until well coated. Taste and season as needed with salt and pepper. Transfer macaroni to the fridge and let chill for at least 1 hour.
Cook bacon: Cook bacon strips in the pan or oven until evenly crispy, not burnt. Once cool enough to handle, use a sharp knife to chop into bacon bits.
Serve: Garnish chilled macaroni salad with bacon bits and crumbled Arla Apetina White Cheese. Serve.
