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I wonder now how many pairs of trouser pockets I ruined as a kid when, due to a “clean your plate” policy, I was forced to grab handfuls of peas and macaroni whenever they were on the menu and stuff them in my trouser pockets for future disposal.

As a kid, I could not eat peas or macaroni. I guess I didn’t like the consistency of peas, and I absolutely hated the sound macaroni made when you dug an entrenching tool into it. 

But we grow up and somehow learn to live with the things we once hated. 

In fact, when I followed to a T the recipe for a cheesy macaroni salad from Crystal Farms Cheese, I wanted to add peas to the salad for color and for a touch of Je ne sais quoi.

But follow the recipe I did, and when I was questioned aboutthe taste, I forgot about a key component that probably sets this macaroni salad apart.

I made the salad for a family gathering in which everyone was asked to bring a dish.

As a big fan of pickle juice, I was happy to see this recipe called for a pickle juice addition to the mayonnaise dressing.

But when my cousin Yvette was eating and noted a dill flavor, I told her I had not added dill. And then I remembered the pickle juice I added to the mayo dressing was from a jar of baby dill pickles, and those baby dills were diced up for the recipe, too.

Here’s the recipe:

1 cup mayonnaise

2 Tbsp pickle juice

1 tsp mustard

¼ tsp salt, more to taste

¼ tsp ground black pepper

½ cup celery, diced

½ cup red onion, diced

½ cup mild cheddar cheese

½ cup Swiss cheese

½ cup pickles, diced

16 ounce elbow macaroni

2 hard boiled eggs, roughly chopped

parsley or paprika, for garnish