There’s a few things Mr. Foodie and I gravitate towards for lunches on the weekends when it’s warm outside. BLT’s, cold Tuna Sandwiches on toasted bread and cool Bean Salads. With the cost of bacon being so ridiculously high these days the BLT’s are few and far between and as it turns out we were both craving some tuna the other day. Instead of sandwiches I decided I wanted a cold macaroni salad. But I wanted something different than my usual mayonnaise based dressing with celery, onions and whatever other thing I feel like throwing in at the time. I was thinking about it and for some reason I thought of tartar sauce. In all honesty, I think the thought of tuna made me think of fish which made me think of the Panko Crusted Cod which reminded me how the crust tasted like a built in tartar sauce. I’m telling ya, I can’t get that fish out of my head! It’s like I’ve been possessed…or maybe I’m just obsessed, or maybe both!
So any way…why not? It’s fish and I happen to be a tartar sauce hound. I will dip darn near anything in tartar sauce, French Fries being my all-time favorite, even above fish. It sounded right so I ran with it since I had everything I needed.
Tuna Macaroni Salad with Tartar Sauce Dressing
a Justa original
- 6 ounces Medium Shell pasta
- 3 5 ounce cans tuna, drained (the picture only shows two but I ended up tossing in a third can)
- 1 cup celery, diced
- 2 tablespoons onion, diced (I don’t like a lot of onion in my tuna)
- 1 cup mayonnaise (I would reduce this to 3/4 cup next time but leave all other ingredients the same…it was just a tad bit wetter than I like)
- 1/4 cup dill pickles, diced finely
- 1/2 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1/2 tablespoon fresh dill, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
- few splashes of Tabasco Sauce
- salt and pepper to taste
Cook pasta according to directions. Drain and rinse under cold water to chill pasta down.
While pasta is cooking, drain tuna and place in a bowl. Flake with a fork then add remaining ingredients. Stir to combine.
Cover and refrigerate until well chilled and flavors have blended together.
Give this a try. It’s different but GOOD different!
.
ooh, I just picked up several cans of tuna fish & the tartar sauce idea sounds pretty good, extra flavor without the extra effort!
Yeah, like I said, this was different, but good different. I’m sure I’ll do it again but will reduce the mayo and just give it a light dressing, probably with more dill and lemon for a more warm-weather touch. It definitely has potential for a summertime salad.
Looks so delicious! :9
Funny how one thing leads to another and at first I was thinking… nah, this’ll never fly by John. But then I think tuna – good on that, macaroni salad, cripes the man loves that! I think this is a go. I too used to dunk french fries in tartar sauce or if that wasn’t available, just mayo. But tell me something Justa – what’s with the Hellman’s? No Cains down there in you neck of the woods?
Cains?? Never even heard of it! We get Hellmann’s, Kraft, Dukes and something dredged up from the pits of hell called Deep South. Good God Almighty that stuff should be banned as a toxic by-product. Ooooh, just the thought makes me cringe. ACK! You’re a tartar sauce french fry dunker too? I KNEW I liked you!!
I also make my macaroni salad with tuna – it adds such a nice savory flavor….and no one ever guesses it’s tuna!
I really like pulling this together on the weekends because it’s so easy yet more filling than traditional mac salad because of the little protein bump.
I make a similar style potato salad, minus the tuna, I bet this is good, great flavor combinations.
This salad was good…a little different than my norm and it was a nice change. I’d love to hear about your potato salad. Got any plans of posting it any time soon? Hint, hint.