With Labor Day Weekend a thing of the past, summer is slowly winding down. We are still having warm weather here in Montana, but you can definitely tell the season is shifting. It was just barely getting light at 6:30am when I left for my half marathon yesterday (new PR of 2:25:45!) which means fall is just around the corner. But don’t fret, there’s still time for a few more summer recipes before the onset of Pumpkin Season (I consider this to be October 1st.)

A summer family favorite is a macaroni shrimp salad. Perfect as a side dish, it’s a crowd-pleaser as well as an easy dinner recipe. I often eat the leftovers for lunch in the subsequent days. It does require a couple hours in the fridge, but takes minimal active effort beyond measuring and a bit of chopping. Plenty of shrimp and macaroni in a creamy sauce, dotted with bright green peas, and flavored with a little Dijon, this salad is fairly mild and tastes great even to people that don’t like mustard (like me.)

If you’re in charge of a side dish for a last summer barbecue, this is a great option. Keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to eat, and if it’s going to be sitting out in the heat, consider surrounding the bowl with some ice.

Macaroni Shrimp Salad

Inspired by Krazykhat (allrecipes.com)
Makes about 8 cups 

Ingredients

8 oz shell macaroni pasta

1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 (scant) Tbsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp pepper
3 Tbsp shallots, minced²
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill weed³

3 cups frozen, cooked tail-off shrimp (thawed and drained)
1 1/2 cups frozen peas

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold running water to cool. Set aside.
2. In a medium serving bowl, combine all remaining ingredients except peas and shrimp. Stir until well combined and smooth.
3. Using a large spatula (rubber scraper), gently fold in the macaroni, shrimp and peas until completely mixed.
4. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve, at least two hours.

Notes

¹ I like Kirkland’s frozen shrimp (Costco’s brand)
² If you don’t have shallots, you can substitute the following: 1/4 minced onion, 1 clove garlic (minced)
³ The dill adds a great flavor to the dish, but if you don’t like dill or forget to buy it (as I did), it’s just fine to leave it out