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Ultra-Creamy Pasta Salad with Ham, Cheddar, and Tangy Dressing

Ultra-creamy pasta salad loaded with vegetables, ham, and cheddar in a tangy mayonnaise-sour-cream dressing. Cooked elbow macaroni gets mixed with crunchy celery, bell pepper, red onion, and thawed peas, then chills until thick and flavorful.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 35 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 660
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pasta salad base
  • 1 lb elbow macaroni
  • 1 cup ham, diced
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese, cubed
  • 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
  • 1 cup celery, diced
  • 0.5 cup red bell pepper, diced
  • 0.25 cup red onion, finely diced
Tangy creamy dressing
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
  • 0.25 cup milk
  • 2 tbsp white vinegar
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Cook and cool the pasta
  1. Bring water to a boil, then cook elbow macaroni according to package directions until tender. Drain and immediately rinse under cold water to stop the cooking and keep the pasta from clumping.
Make the tangy dressing
  1. Whisk mayonnaise, sour cream, milk, vinegar, sugar, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper in a bowl until smooth and thick. Stop whisking once the dressing looks uniform with no streaks.
Assemble the salad
  1. In a large bowl, combine the cooked macaroni, diced ham, cubed cheddar, thawed peas, diced celery, diced red bell pepper, and finely diced red onion. Fold until the add-ins are evenly distributed.
Coat and chill
  1. Pour the dressing over the pasta salad and toss until everything is evenly coated with a creamy sheen. Scrape the bottom and sides once during tossing so no dry pasta remains.
Rest for best flavor
  1. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight to let the flavors meld and the texture thicken. Chill until cold and scoopable, then rest at least 3 hours total before serving.
Finish and serve
  1. Stir the pasta salad before serving, then add a splash of milk only if the dressing looks too thick. Look for a glossy, creamy coating on the pasta as your visual cue.

Notes

For extra ultra-creamy results, rinse the pasta well with cold water so it cools quickly and doesn’t absorb extra moisture. Refrigerate covered up to 4 days; freeze not recommended because the creamy dressing can break. For a lighter option, swap half the mayonnaise for Greek yogurt while keeping sour cream for the same tangy thickness.