McCormick Salad Supreme Recipe (Classic Pasta Salad + Copycat Seasoning)

Every summer potluck has one bowl that empties first, and more often than not it’s this one: cold pasta tossed with Italian dressing, crisp cucumbers and tomatoes, and a generous dusting of McCormick Salad Supreme — that cheesy, sesame-flecked seasoning in the shaker bottle that somehow makes pasta salad taste like the 4th of July. If you grew up in the Midwest or the South, there’s a good chance this exact salad has appeared at every family reunion you’ve ever attended.

This page has everything: the classic Salad Supreme pasta salad recipe, the beloved spaghetti salad version (yes, with actual spaghetti noodles — it’s a thing, and it’s wonderful), and a copycat Salad Supreme seasoning blend for the day your store shelf is empty or you’d rather mix your own.

What Is McCormick Salad Supreme?

Salad Supreme is a shaker-bottle seasoning blend built around Romano cheese, sesame seeds, paprika, celery seed, garlic, poppy seeds, and black pepper, with a faint back-of-the-tongue warmth from red pepper. The cheese and sesame are what make it distinctive — it’s savory and nutty in a way plain Italian seasoning isn’t, and it clings to dressed pasta instead of sinking to the bottom of the bowl.

It was designed for green salads, but somewhere along the way home cooks discovered its true calling: shaken over cold pasta with zesty Italian dressing. That combination became the unofficial pasta salad of American potlucks, and it’s the recipe printed on a thousand recipe cards in a thousand church cookbooks.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Three ingredients carry it — pasta, Italian dressing, Salad Supreme; the veggies are the supporting cast
• 15 minutes of actual work — boil pasta, chop, toss, chill
• Better the next day — built for making ahead, which is exactly what a cookout side should be
• Feeds a crowd cheaply — one pound of pasta stretches to 10–12 side servings
• Endlessly adaptable — every family adds their own twist, and all of them work

Ingredients for Salad Supreme Pasta Salad

• Rotini or spaghetti: Sturdy pasta that grabs dressing in every twist
• Zesty Italian dressing: Tangy, bold base that stands up to chilling
• McCormick Salad Supreme seasoning: The cheesy, sesame-flecked star of the show
• Cucumber: Cool, crisp crunch in every single forkful
• Cherry tomatoes: Juicy bursts of sweetness against the tangy dressing
• Green bell pepper: Fresh garden snap and a pop of color.
• Red onion: Sharp bite that mellows perfectly as it chills
• Optional add-ins: Black olives, pepperoni, mozzarella, or broccoli florets

Ingredient notes: Zesty Italian (not regular) is the traditional choice — the extra vinegar and red pepper stand up to chilling, which mutes flavors. And don’t pre-mix all the dressing in; pasta drinks dressing in the fridge, so you’ll reserve some for refreshing the salad before serving. Exact measurements are in the recipe card below.

How to Make McCormick Salad Supreme Pasta Salad

Step 1: Boil the pasta in well-salted water until just past al dente — cold pasta firms up, so slightly softer is right for pasta salad. Drain and rinse under cold water until completely cooled, then drain well.

Step 2: While the pasta cooks, halve the tomatoes, slice the cucumber and onion, and dice the bell pepper. Aim for bite-sized pieces that fork easily with the pasta.

Step 3: In your largest bowl, combine the pasta and vegetables. Pour over about 1 cup of the Italian dressing and sprinkle on the Salad Supreme. Toss until every piece is coated and the seasoning is evenly flecked throughout.

Step 4: Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, ideally overnight. This rest is not optional — it’s where the seasoning blooms into the dressing and the salad becomes itself.

Step 5: Just before serving, toss with another 1/4–1/2 cup of dressing to loosen, and finish with a fresh shake of Salad Supreme over the top. That final dusting is the potluck signature move.

Yield: 10–12 side servings | Prep: 15 min | Cook: 10 min | Chill: 2+ hours

The Classic Salad Supreme Spaghetti Salad

If you learned this recipe from a grandmother, odds are she made it with spaghetti noodles, not rotini — and the spaghetti version has a devoted following for good reason. The long strands hold the dressing differently, the seasoning clings to every noodle, and it twirls onto a fork like a cold, tangy pasta dish rather than a chunky salad.

To make it the traditional way:

1. Break 1 lb of spaghetti in half before boiling (this is church-cookbook law).
2. Cook, rinse cold, and drain as above.
3. Toss with the same dressing, seasoning, and vegetables — though many spaghetti salad loyalists keep the veggies simpler: just tomatoes, cucumber, and onion.
4. Chill overnight. Spaghetti salad in particular is dramatically better on day two.

Rotini vs. spaghetti is a genuine regional divide; if you’re bringing this to a potluck where the spaghetti version is the known quantity, don’t show up with corkscrews unannounced.

Copycat Salad Supreme Seasoning Recipe (When the Shelf Is Empty)

Store out of stock, or just want to control the salt? This homemade blend gets you remarkably close to the bottle:

• 2 tablespoons grated Romano cheese (the shelf-stable canister kind works best here — it stays dry)
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
• 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
• 1 teaspoon celery seed
• 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Whisk everything together and store in an airtight jar in the refrigerator (the cheese is why it goes in the fridge, not the spice rack) for up to a month. This makes about 1/3 cup — enough for two batches of pasta salad with some left for popcorn, roasted vegetables, or buttered corn on the cob, all of which it improves.

If you like mixing your own blends, our Homemade Chili Seasoning Mix (McCormick Copycat) uses the same pantry-over-packet approach.

Variations Worth Trying

• Italian deli style: add cubed salami or pepperoni, mozzarella pearls, and sliced black olives
• Garden overload: broccoli florets, shredded carrots, and radishes for maximum crunch
• Creamy hybrid: swap a third of the Italian dressing for mayo — splits the difference between this and a macaroni salad
• Antipasto: marinated artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, and provolone cubes
• Lighter: use a light Italian dressing and load up the vegetable ratio; the seasoning carries the flavor either way

Make-Ahead, Storage, and Potluck Logistics

This salad was engineered by generations of potluck veterans, and it shows:

• Make-ahead: Build it the night before — it’s genuinely better after an overnight chill. Hold back the refresh dressing and final seasoning shake until serving.
• Refrigerator: Keeps 4 days in an airtight container. The vegetables soften gradually; it’s still good on day four, just less crisp.
• Transport: Travel with the salad in a cooler and the reserve dressing in a jar; toss and top on-site so it arrives glossy, not gummy.
• Don’t freeze it. Dressed pasta and raw vegetables don’t survive the thaw.

Troubleshooting

• Salad seems dry after chilling? Completely normal — pasta absorbs dressing overnight. That’s what the reserved dressing is for. Toss and it springs back.
• Flavors taste flat? Cold mutes seasoning. Add a fresh shake of Salad Supreme and a splash of red wine vinegar just before serving rather than more salt.
• Watery bottom of the bowl? The cucumbers and tomatoes released liquid. Either seed the cucumber next time, or simply toss before serving — the liquid redistributes into the dressing.
• Seasoning clumping? The cheese in Salad Supreme can clump in humidity. Shake the bottle with the cap on first, and store it in the fridge after opening in summer months.

What to Serve It With

Salad Supreme pasta salad is a cookout side by birthright. It pulls its weight next to burgers, brats, grilled chicken, and pulled pork sandwiches — and if you’re building a full potluck spread, it sits nicely alongside our Fourth of July Pasta Salad for a table with both a zesty and a feta-fresh option. Need more ideas for the spread?

Frequently Asked Questions

What is in McCormick Salad Supreme seasoning? The blend is built around Romano cheese, sesame seeds, paprika, celery seed, garlic, poppy seeds, black pepper, and a touch of red pepper. The cheese and sesame are what give it its signature savory, nutty character. Check the current label for the full ingredient statement, as formulations can change.

What do you use Salad Supreme on besides pasta salad? Green salads (its original purpose), buttered corn, roasted potatoes and vegetables, popcorn, garlic bread, deviled eggs, and sliced tomatoes with olive oil. It’s a parmesan-pepper finishing blend at heart.

Do you use spaghetti or rotini for Salad Supreme pasta salad? Both are traditional — it’s a regional split. Spaghetti (broken in half) is the classic church-cookbook version; rotini holds chunky vegetables better and forks more easily at a buffet. The dressing-to-seasoning ratio is the same either way.

How much Salad Supreme do I use per pound of pasta? About 3 tablespoons tossed in, plus a finishing shake at serving. If you like it bolder, go to 4 — the blend is cheesy rather than salty-hot, so it’s forgiving.

Can I make Salad Supreme pasta salad the night before? Yes — you should. The overnight chill is when the seasoning melds into the dressing. Reserve about 1/2 cup of dressing to refresh the salad before serving, since the pasta absorbs liquid as it sits.

Is McCormick Salad Supreme gluten free? The seasoning blend itself doesn’t list wheat ingredients, but McCormick’s labeling and facilities vary by product line — always verify the current bottle’s label if you’re cooking for someone with celiac disease, and use gluten-free pasta for the salad itself.

What can I substitute for Salad Supreme? The copycat blend above (Romano cheese, sesame seeds, paprika, poppy seeds, celery seed, garlic powder, seasoned salt, black pepper, cayenne) gets you closest. In a pinch, grated parmesan plus Italian seasoning and a pinch of celery seed is a rough approximation.

More Potluck Pasta Salads

• Fourth of July Pasta Salad — the red, white, and blue table companion
• Hooters Pasta Salad — the creamy, tangy copycat
• Jason’s Deli Pasta Salad — deli-style creamy classic
• Copycat Suddenly Salad Classic — the boxed favorite, fresher
• Gordon Ramsay Macaroni Salad — the upgraded macaroni side