I ate this a lot as a kid during the summer and it falls into one of my comfort food categories. I imagine it originated as a quick, easy, and cheap meal my mother could just throw together. There is nothing particularly unique about this salad. I think it’s impossible to get through an entire summer without coming in contact with a macaroni salad. Bring about 2 quarts of water to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. We all had aspirations of becoming lifeguards when we got into high school and by the end of the summer we were all tan as deer. Place the bell pepper, red onion, celery, lemon juice, and salt in a large bowl, stir to combine, and set aside for 15 minutes to marinate. Cook at a rolling boil uncovered for about 10 minutes until the macaroni is just a little more cooked than al dente. As my friends and I got older, we positioned our lawn chairs out by the deep end so we could watch the older boys behind our sunglasses and hope someone noticed us. Cook the macaroni: In a saucepan, add 1 cup of elbow macaroni to 1 quart of boiling water with an added teaspoon of salt. Fifty-cents would buy you a brightly-colored popsicle, a bag of chips, or a dill pickle. There was a waterslide in the shallow end for the younger kids. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
Add to tuna mixture a little at a time mix well. In a large bowl, place the macaroni and peas. Fold the ingredients until everything is well combined, then cover the bowl, and refrigerate for a at. Cook macaroni according to package directions, drain in colander and rinse with cold water. Make sure that everything is well combined, then add in the cooked macaroni pasta. Mix the ingredients, then toss in the salt, pepper, and garlic powder. I would just put my swimsuit on and wait until 2 p.m. In a large mixing bowl toss in the mayonnaise, dill relish, tuna, onions, and celery. In a smaller bowl, combine the mayonnaise, yogurt. During those summer months, I wouldn’t even bother getting dressed in the morning. In a large bowl, lightly toss the tuna, macaroni, peas, onion, celery, and red pepper until mixed. From about second or third grade until middle school, the city swimming pool was the perfect solution. What are some of your favorite summer memories from when you were a kid? Since both of my parents worked, they had to find a way to entertain me once school let out. Add the diced onions, diced celery, chopped olives, grape tomato halves, diced cheese, chopped olives, shredded carrots and parsley to the cooked macaroni.