Not-So-Fat Macaroni Salad

As I have mentioned before, for health reasons I am on a low-fat diet. That doesn’t mean I don’t like food that falls into that high-fat category.

I do.

A lot.

I use two strategies to satisfy my fatty-food cravings. The first is the simple one, I eat less of the food than I used to. The second strategy is to reduce the fat content without ruining the taste or texture. For me, texture is almost as important as taste. Here is one of my recipes that I have come up with that I find satisfies my craving.

Not-So-Fat Macaroni Salad:

1/4 cup Mayonnaise (not the non-fat or low-fat kind, I use the fully-fat kind)
3/4 cup Low-Fat Plain Yogurt
2 Tbsp. Mustard (I use a stone ground or course mustard with no turmeric, but you can use any mustard you like)
1 Small Onion, diced fine
1/4 cup Dill Pickle Relish (if you can’t find dill relish, you can chop up a dill pickle)
2 stalks Celery, diced fine
2 Eggs, hard-boiled and chopped (I sometimes double the eggs to make my husband happy)
4 cups Small Macaroni, cooked
salt to taste

In a large bowl mix the mayonnaise, yogurt and mustard until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and stir well until macaroni is evenly coated. Refrigerate. Best if refrigerated for at least an hour to let flavors blend.

I often add some of these optional ingredients depending on my mood and what I have on hand:

1 small can Black Olives, sliced
1 small can or jar Artichoke Hearts, packed in water, chopped
4 oz. Lean Ham, Turkey and/or Chicken, cubed
4 oz. Cheese, reduced fat (I prefer Sharp Cheddar, but my family likes Jack or Colby)

I hope you enjoy my not-so-fat macaroni salad. I often use the trick of substituting low-fat yogurt for some of the mayonnaise when a recipe calls for it. This works really well for potato salad and mayonnaise based dressings and dips.