My husband, Mr. Larry Forbes, loves him some macaroni salad. Love may not even be the right word. Actually, he worships and adores macaroni salad. So every now and then I break down my barriers and make him a big bowl full. I know he will be highly grateful when I place a bowl of it in front of him.
I have used a lot of different pickles through the years when I make macaroni salad but it turns out now that our favorite pickle for this dish is Icicle Pickles that we buy a case of each year at a church yard sale in Holden Beach. The church ladies make and resale them every year and I just have to tell you that they are 'to die' for. I've never seen another icicle pickle like these anywhere. And that is why I buy them by the case. They are especially nice in potato salad as well.
2 cups elbow macaroni
1 tsp. olive oil
1 cup sweet onion, chopped
1/4 cup each of diced red, orange, and yellow bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/3 cup chopped icicle pickles
1/4 cup icicle pickle juice
salt and pepper to taste
Cook the pasta in salted boiling water just until al dente. Drain well and then drizzle with the olive oil, mixing well. Place in a large bowl and add remaining ingredients.
DRESSING: 1/2 cup Duke's mayonnaise, 2 Tbsp. icicle pickle juice, 1 Tbsp. sugar, 1 Tbsp. spicy brown mustard, 1/2 tsp. salt.
Mix all together then add to pasta ingredients in the bowl. Chill well in the refrigerator before serving or try to at least. Mr. Forbes wants to eat it whether or not it is chilled.
"Me and Mr. Forbes have never met an icicle pickle macaroni salad that we did not like."~Adele Forbes
