In a typical Filipino household, macaroni salad is one of those dishes that is customarily made during special occasions like birthdays and end-of-year holidays. But since it's the easiest to make out of all pasta dishes and not much cooking is needed (which means fewer dishes to wash) I think it should be a part of every family's weekly or at least bi-weekly meal.
Just look at that creamy and velvety macaroni salad
I made it the other day and has been sitting in the fridge for a day. I've been thinking of something to pair it with. Then an idea hit me. Baked chicken! That too is simple and easy to make.
I decided to put the two recipes together in one post because they really turned out to be a great pair. These will definitely be my go-to dishes whenever we get tired of our favorite Filipino foods (a.k.a. rice and ulam). Yes, sometimes that happens.
Chicken thighs are the juiciest part of the chicken and that's why I love it.
WATCH HOW TO MAKE EASY OVEN ROASTED CHICKEN THIGHS
Complete Recipe
Baked Chicken Thighs and Macaroni Salad
Ingredients
Salad Dressing
- 1 ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¾ cup condensed milk
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- salt and pepper to taste
Salad
- 250 grams elbow macaroni
- 1 cup diced cheddar cheese
- 1 small carrots (grated)
- 1 small red bell pepper (finely diced)
- 1 small green bell pepper (finely diced)
- 2 celery stalks (finely diced)
- 1 small onion (finely chopped)
Baked Chicken
- 4 boneless chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoon onion powder
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon oil
Instructions
- Cook elbow macaroni according to package directions. Drain but do not rinse. Set aside and let it cool.
- In a bowl, combine all dressing ingredients. Whisk until well combined.
- In a large bowl, combine macaroni, cheese, carrots, bell pepper, celery and onion. Pour the dressing to the salad. Toss gently until well combined.
- Refrigerate for at least 4 hours but overnight is best; the salad will completely absorb the dressing. Note: Before serving, try the salad. Taste it and adjust accordingly. I added two more tablespoons of mayonnaise to my salad to make it creamier and it turned out great!
Shella says
For baked chicken thighs what temp and how long in oven? Thanks