Start by boiling water in a large pot. Once the water is rolling, add your dry macaroni noodles and follow the package instructions for cooking. Usually, this means about 8-10 minutes. Go for al dente—nobody wants mushy pasta! Once cooked, drain the noodles and rinse them in cold water immediately. This cools them down quickly and stops the cooking process. Drizzle about a teaspoon of olive oil over the noodles, giving them a gentle stir to ensure they don’t stick together.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled macaroni with your diced sweet gherkins, chopped red pepper, celery slices, red onion, and chopped hard-boiled eggs. Make sure to mix everything together well. This is where you’ll get those delicious bites of crunch and flavor!

Now comes the fun part—making the dressing! In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, apple cider vinegar, sweet pickle juice, sugar, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and optional crushed red pepper. You want everything blended so that the dressing is smooth and creamy.

Pour the prepared dressing over the macaroni salad ingredients and toss everything together until it’s all well-coated and evenly mixed.

For the best flavor, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator. Let it chill for at least an hour. This allows the flavors to blend beautifully. Just before serving, give it another good stir!