Old School Macaroni Salad + Oven Roasted Gorgonzola Potatoes [a bbq side dish duo]
Our weekend plan - barbecue. Particularly get the yard chores done so we can do nothing but focus on the barbecue. We ventured to Costco for the first time since quarantine, and I told Jordan that I was not going to Costco without coming home with a big hunk of meat for a good ol’ fashion bbq. & luckily I have a husband who was more than onboard (because he’s the fucking greatest), & we were both feeling ribs. I LIVE for barbecued ribs. & I have virtually zero part in making them. It’s my husbands domain, so really I was signing him up to bbq for us while I’m there for moral support, supplying the oohs & aaahs everytime we took a peak at the bbq, & to cook up the most perfect sides for us. I’m going to call this the his + hers version of bbq sides at the Zehner house - Old School Macaroni Salad for Jordan & Oven Roasted Gorgonzola Potatoes for me. Both so good & pretty decadent (I mean the mayo + cheese used here are not sparse), and so worth it to have a meal that felt like true bbq.
Jordan LOVES mac salad. For a hot minute he was sneaking out and getting Hawaiian food lunches when I was out doing something else - a little weekend treat for himself post chores if you will. & the mac salad was the thing that took it over the edge of super good. For a minute we were buying the big tubs of it at the grocery store as the easy side to bring to a friends house, which I’m slightly embarrassed to admit. & I’m still so shocked Jordan leads the mac salad charge because he’s not a mayo dude. & this salad is mayo heavy. It’s like the thing that sets it apart as mac salad - anything else is pasta salad. So I went full mayo in this rendition - lots of extra veggie additions, but full mayo.
& you have to go full mayo with a mac salad that’s going with a hot barbecue meal because it’s all about the flavors going together on the plate. My favorite meals are the ones that go so perfectly together that a bite of this goes really well with a bite of that - it’s how I try to meal plan. Like if I’m making a big juicy steak, I want to eat a piece of the that with a forkful of whatever salad I’m serving with it. It’s the fun of food - trying things together, mixing flavors, and not being afraid to scoop things up in the same forkful. When you’re taking about juicy, saucey bbq, a little piece of that tangy bbq scooped up with cool + refreshing mac salad is perfect. You get the whole hot + cold thing going on in addition to zingy + creamy, and I’m here for it!
I looked at several recipes, and didn’t stray too far from what seemed like the core ingredients - celery, carrot, + shallot. My personal touch was using jarred roasted red peppers in place of pimentos because I don’t really care for pimentos, but big big fan of roasted red peppers. You still get a yummy red pepper flavor and pretty pop of colors, so feeling pretty good about this.
I LOVE a crispy potato, & especially a roasted baby potato like these. We often get small taters like these (baby russets or fingerlings) and roast them until they’re brown and crispy in place of a traditional french fry. I call them “better than french fry potatoes” whenever they make their way to our at-home menu, & they’re a true treat. So delicious because of the crispy edge you can get just by oven roasting, and it’s a crispy outer layer that hides soft, perfectly cooked potato middle. So you definitely get some texture differentiation. They key for me is to go overboard with the browning. No burned potatoes (let’s be clear - there’s a difference), but roasting off these bad boys beyond the point of slightly golden is ket. Tossing with just a drizzle of olive oil & a pint of salt + pepper, you place them on an already hot foil covered pan in a 400 degree oven, and the parts touching the foil develop a rich brown color that has the most desirable crunch when you bite in. They’re salty + addicting + (to be honest) better than a French fry.
& what’s better than a crispy potato? A crispy potato covered in cheese! These guys are loaded with crumbled blue, that gets melted + stringy (I did not know blue cheese could get stringy!), and they cheesy top takes away the need for any dippies. I’m a fannnnn of blue cheese in general, & I think the sharpness is really nice + necessary here. The cheese encompasses these tater nuggets, so when you serve them up you see a little bit of the brown potato poking through, and they just look really delectable. I mean - I was going for a nicer at-home bbq feel, so serving them over a bed of arugula looked really nice, and it added a layer of true vegetable I was kind of craving with this carb heavy meal. I just use straight arugula, plating it up totally undressed, & I love the freshness with a hot and cheesy potato. Totally delicious, and all the color looked so good served up!
Ok, so my three things to remember about making these two side dishes:
Embrace the make-ahead. The macaroni salad can be made early in the day (as in first things in the morning), so it should be the first thing you make! Especially if you’re having people over, get that shit done with your morning coffee to free up some time for the hands on stuff. & if you’re cooking for just you, still do it early so you can soak up the sun with an afternoon drink.
No need to buy the expensive stuff. You’re not making a charcuterie board - you’re melting cheese over potatoes. Getting an already crumbled blue cheese that’s on the affordable side it a-okay.
Go heavy with the veggies. A heavy handed sprinkle of arugula under the potatoes & a hefty amount of prepped veggies + herbs in the mac salad go a long way in making 2 carby sides feel a little lighter. If you love celery - add a couple more spears of it to your mac salad. Big fan of carrots? Shred up a little extra if you’ve got it and mix in.
Two super delicious sides that work perfectly together, set the tone for a cohesive meal, & would be worthy of cooking up for a barbecue with friends 🖤
For the macaroni salad
1 lb. dried macaroni
2/3 c. mayo
2 tbsp. mayo
1 shallot, minced
1/4 c. bread & butter pickle chips, minced
salt + pepper
8 ounces ham steak, cubed
3 carrots, peeled & shredded
3 celery spears, thinly sliced
1/2 c. roasted rep peppers, finely diced or minced
3-4 tbsp fresh parsley
For the potatoes
2 lb. baby russet potatoes, halved
EVOO
3/4 c. crumbled blue cheese
Salt + pepper
2-3 c. arugula
Instructions for the mac salad
Place a large pot of water over hit heat & bring to a boil. Add in the pasta and cook to al dente. Drain & rinse with cold water.
Get a large bowl. Whisk together the mayo, mustard, shallot, pickles, & a pinch of salt & pepper. Add in the noodles, toss, and get the noodles evenly coated in the dressing. Add in the ham, carrots, celery, roasted peppers, and parsley. Mix until the veggies are incorporated. Cover & place in the fridge. Take out when you’re ready to out.
Instructions for the Potatoes
Preheat the oven to 400. Place a foiled pan in the oven to heat up.
Toss the halved potatoes in a separate bowl, and drizzle with 3-4 tbsp of EVOO. Add a hefty sprinkle of salt & pepper, toss, and spread the potatoes in a thin layer on the foiled pan. Cook for 45-55 minutes (do not fliip) - until the potatoes are a deep brown color. If after 45 minutes they’re barely golden, increase the heat to 425 for 10-15 minutes. Remove from the oven, toss on the pan, and sprinkle the top with blue cheese. Heat for another 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
Place the arugula on a serving tray. Scoop the cheesed up potatoes right on top of the arugula, making sure to scrape up any melted cheese that’s hanging out on the pan. Serve immediately.