Pimento Macaroni Salad takes a classic pasta salad and adds a Southern flair. Creamy pimento cheese blends into every bite, with ham and crisp veggies adding a little crunch. It’s an easy make-ahead side dish that works for cookouts, weeknight dinners, or holiday tables.

A close-up of creamy macaroni salad with diced ham and black pepper, served in a dark bowl with a wooden spoon, set on a dark blue cloth.

Southern Macaroni Salad with Pimento Cheese

Macaroni salad shows up at just about every cookout and potluck in the South, but let’s be honest, sometimes it’s mushy and all you taste is the mayo. This version fixes that. Instead of just mayo, it uses a combination of mayo and sour cream giving it a light and tangy flavor. Pimento cheese and ham are added so that there’s no shortage of flavor.

Since the dressing uses both sour cream and mayonnaise, it’s creamy without being too heavy. A touch of sugar balances the vinegar and spices, giving the salad a little sweet-tangy kick in every bite. It also has some texture from the crunchy celery and onions so it doesn’t feel mushy. If you’ve made my classic macaroni salad, you ‘ll find that it is similar except it uses ham and sharp cheddar instead of pimento cheese.

Pimento cheese, while great as a spread on crackers, adds flavor to everything from fluffy biscuits to a Southern tomato pie. If you’re from the South, I bet you have some in your fridge. Try adding it to this creamy pasta salad and you’ll soon be throwing it in anytime a recipe calls for cheddar cheese.

If you need a practical recipe that’s easy to make ahead, feeds a crowd, and actually tastes better the next day, you have to try this ham and cheese macaroni salad.

A bowl of creamy macaroni salad with a wooden spoon, topped with black pepper, sits on a dark cloth. A small pitcher of extra dressing is placed on a plate beside the bowl.

What Goes Inside This Southern Side

This is mostly what you need to make pimento cheese pasta salad. Don’t forget to check the recipe card for the full list.

Various ingredients on a blue surface, including a bag of sugar, a jar of mayonnaise, sour cream, a red onion, celery, deli ham, canned chickpeas, balsamic vinegar, dry spices, Dijon mustard, and a block of cheese.

Elbow Macaroni: The classic choice because the curves hold onto the creamy dressing. Short pasta like shells or rotini also works.
Pimento Cheese: Store-bought works fine, or make your own homemade pimento cheese.
Ham: Adds saltiness and protein, making this salad filling enough to serve as a main dish. Leftover holiday ham works perfectly, but cooked, cubed ham will work, too.
Apple Cider Vinegar: Brings brightness and keeps the flavors from feeling flat. White wine vinegar works in a pinch.

Bringing It All Together

Step One: Cook the Pasta

Boil the macaroni until just al dente, then drain and rinse in cold water to stop the cooking process.

Tip: Slightly undercooked pasta holds its shape better once chilled.

Step Two: Mix in Seasonings

A black cutting board with finely chopped red onion and celery, a chef's knife lying beside the piles of chopped vegetables. — Chop up the celery and red onion.

A glass bowl containing cooked elbow macaroni, finely chopped red onions, minced garlic, and various powdered spices, with a white spoon resting on the side. — Add the veggies and spices to warm pasta.

Step Three: Fold in Dressing and Cheese

A whisk rests in a glass measuring cup filled with a creamy, light-colored batter, sitting on a blue textured surface. — Whisk the dressing ingredients.

A glass bowl filled with cooked elbow macaroni, chopped red onions, black pepper, and a creamy white sauce being mixed with a large spoon. — Stir in half the dressing.

A glass bowl filled with creamy macaroni salad, topped with a pile of diced ham, and a metal spoon resting inside the mixture. — Mix in pimento cheese and ham.

Step Four: Chill and Finish

A glass bowl filled with creamy macaroni salad, mixed with small bits of ingredients, and a metal spoon. In the background, there’s a small bowl with leftover sauce. The scene is on a blue surface. — Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Before serving, stir in the remaining dressing.

This Pimento Macaroni Salad is simple, creamy, and always a crowd-pleaser. Make it ahead, stash it in the fridge, and you’ve got the perfect side ready for any table.

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