Side Dish

Pasta Side Salad Makeover

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prep time

20 min

total time

50 min

makes

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kraft

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What You Need

1 cup elbow macaroni, uncooked

1/3 cup Miracle Whip Calorie-Wise Spread

1/4 cup Kraft Calorie-Wise Zesty Italian Dressing

100 g (1/2 of 200-g pkg.) Cracker Barrel Light Cheddar Cheese, cubed

3/4 cup matchstick-cut carrots (julienne)

1/2 cup frozen peas

1/2 cup chopped red pepper (1/2 of a medium red pepper)

Make It

COOK macaroni as directed on package; drain. Rinse with cold water; drain again.

MIX dressings in large bowl. Add cheese, carrots, peas, peppers and macaroni; mix lightly. Cover.

REFRIGERATE at least 30 min. or up to 24 hours before serving.

kraft kitchens tips

Jazz It Up

Add 1/2 tsp. of your favourite herb, such as dill or basil.

Makeover - How We Did It

We kept all of the flavour and creaminess of pasta salad by combining Miracle Whip Calorie-Wise Dressing and Kraft Calorie-Wise Zesty Italian Dressing in place of 3/4 cup of mayonnaise and also used Light Cracker Barrell Cheddar Cheese instead of full-fat cheese. Simple substitutions plus adding some colourful vegetables, saves 176 calories and 22 grams of fat per serving making this dish an excellent source of vitamin A compared to a traditional pasta salad!

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rating

Love this pasta salad. I make it all the time using different types of pasta (my kids love it with tri-colour fusilli) and whatever veggies I have on hand (red, green, yellow or orange peppers, cucumber, green onions, etc.). I grate the carrots to save time and to make it easier for my 2 year old to eat. This is one of the few things I can send to school with my son that I know he'll always eat.
posted by Lainey09 | on 4/21/2012

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I have made this recipe often. Even my picky kids love it. I also change it up by adding whatever vegetables I have in the crisper...broccoli, cauliflower, red, gren & yellow peppers, cucumber...it is all wonderful!
posted by blkymom | on 4/16/2010

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This was awesome, tastes just like higher fat pasta salad. This is the only way I will make macaroni salad from now on.
posted by dararandall | on 5/14/2009

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I have been hunting for a better macaroni salad recipe, and I think I found a winner!
posted by christine | on 4/24/2009

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yummy
posted by jackieanderson | on 2/13/2009

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i used a spring herb italian dressing and added about half a cucumber sliced in quarters and it was delicious!and so easy to make!
posted by baby_brown_eyes24 | on 6/14/2008

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I was a little nervous when I saw all the vegtables that this recipie included, but I decided to try it anyways. The result? It's amazing!!
posted by abell_2929 | on 10/15/2007

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I shred the cheese so that I don't need to add as much. I also add a few green onions for extra flavor.
posted by a cook | on 4/17/2007

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Absolutely great. Easy to make and great taste.
posted by mary033 | on 10/14/2006

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Extremely easy to make!!!I omitted the green peas and i shredded the carrot instead.Had with bbq pork chops, great meal!
posted by berrie | on 9/19/2006