Amish Macaroni Salad

Classic Amish Macaroni Salad is an old-timey favorite. And it's a classic favorite for a reason -- because it's just plain good. With its signature sweet creamy dressing, this macaroni salad is simply perfect for potlucks, backyard barbecues, and pretty much any everyday meal!
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I will admit that, with its combination of dressing ingredients, Amish Macaroni Salad recipe is a bit of a departure from how we typically make our macaroni salad. But we sure love this tasty version, too!

I remember when I first served Amish Macaroni Salad to our family, my husband whole-heartedly went back for seconds -- followed by a huge helping of thirds. Which, as we all know as cooks, is a big sign that we've prepared a good dish.

But what left no doubt this is a new family favorite? -- After his third bite, my husband-of-few-unprompted-words enthusiastically declared, "This is really  good!" Ahhhh, music to the cook's ears.

But what makes Amish Macaroni Salad unique, you ask? -- Primarily, it's its extra-creamy and flavorful sweet dressing.

With its signature sweet creamy dressing, this macaroni salad is simply perfect for potlucks, backyard barbecues, and pretty much any everyday meal!

A Few Notes About Amish Macaroni Salad's Ingredients:

The base of Amish Macaroni Salad's dressing is Miracle Whip rather than mayonnaise. Which means the dressing already starts on a sweet note, as Miracle Whip has more inherent sweetness than its mayonnaise counterpart.

On top of this, granulated sugar is then added. Oh, I know you may be skeptical -- but believe me (and my husband's enthusiastic declaration of love for this salad), this signature sweetness of Amish Macaroni Salad is really good.

Amish Macaroni Salad's sweetened dressing base then gets great flavor from its characteristic combination of vinegar, yellow mustard, relish, and celery seed. It's a flavor combination that may sound a tad bizarre, but comes together nicely and really works well.

The dressing base gets great flavor from its characteristic combination of vinegar, yellow mustard, relish, and celery seed.

We do use a bit less sugar and a bit more vinegar than called for in most Amish Macaroni Salad recipes. We like ours with the sweetness cut down just a touch, but feel free to add more sugar if you'd like to sweeten it back up to its original level.

Also, while Miracle Whip is traditional, substitute in mayonnaise if you just simply aren't a Miracle Whip fan (as I'm aware many are not). Just be aware you'll lose some of this classic's characteristic sweet taste.

A Few Notes About How to Make Amish Macaroni Salad:

When making Amish Macaroni Salad, keep the following in mind:

• Chill to develop flavor -  Chill the prepared salad for at least one hour before serving to allow the flavors to meld, however consider chilling even longer before digging in. We prefer to let our Amish Macaroni Salad chill overnight before serving to allow the flavors to fully meld and more fully develop flavor.
• Flex the ingredient amounts to suit your personal taste - The make-up of Amish Macaroni Salad is pretty flexible and forgiving, allowing for changes to suit personal taste. For example, we use less sugar than what's called for in most Amish Macaroni Salad recipes. If you'd like an even sweeter dressing, increase the sugar to 3/4 cup. Or, reduce it down to just 1/4 cup, as this will still create a very flavorful macaroni salad. Also, add up to 1/2 cup more Miracle Whip for a creamier, more moist salad if you'd like. -- Or, reduce the amount by about 1/2 cup if you prefer yours "drier."
• Use mayonnaise if you prefer - While Miracle Whip is traditional in Amish Macaroni Salad, substitute mayonnaise if you simply just aren't a Miracle Whip fan. Just be aware you'll lose some of this classic's characteristic sweet taste.
• Consider the Vidalia - Basic yellow or white onion works fabulously in Amish Macaroni Salad, but we encourage you to consider using Vidalia onion when these beauties are in season! While we know Vidalias aren't a truly Amish ingredient, we sure do love their flavor in this (or any!) salad.

But no matter how you make yours, serve up a big bowlful of this old-timey classic macaroni salad at your next potluck, backyard barbecue, or plain-old everyday dinner -- and watch it disappear.  

Because Amish Macaroni Salad is a classic favorite for a reason -- quite simply because it's just plain good.  

Check out these other super tasty pasta salad recipes:

• Ham & Cheese Macaroni Salad
• Loaded Baked Potato Macaroni Salad
• Antipasto Pasta Salad
• Ma's Picnic Pasta Salad
• Summer Vegetable Tortellini Salad
• Pineapple Shrimp Macaroni Salad
• Broccoli Pasta Salad with Grapes
• Sun Dried Tomato, Artichoke, & Fresh Basil Pasta Salad
• Pesto Tortellini Salad with Asparagus
• More salad recipes

Thank you for stopping by The Kitchen is My Playground. We'd love to have you back soon!

Amish macaroni salad, Amish macaroni salad recipe, macaroni salad recipe, macaroni salad with Miracle Whip

Salad

Amish

Yield: 10-12 servings

Author: Tracey | The Kitchen is My Playground

Amish Macaroni Salad

Classic Amish Macaroni Salad is an old-timey favorite. And it's a classic favorite for a reason -- because it's just plain good. With its signature sweet creamy dressing, it's simply perfect for potlucks, backyard barbecues, and pretty much any everyday meal!

Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 20 MinInactive time: 1 HourTotal time: 1 H & 40 M

Ingredients

• 2 c. uncooked elbow macaroni
• 3 hard boiled eggs, chopped
• 1/2 c. finely chopped onion
• 1/2 c. chopped celery (about 2 stalks)
• 1/2 c. chopped red pepper (about ½ of a large pepper)
• 2 T. sweet pickle relish
• 1 ½ c. Miracle Whip salad dressing
• 3 T. yellow mustard
• 1/2 c. granulated sugar
• 1 T. white vinegar
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 3/4 tsp. celery seed

Instructions

1. Cook macaroni in boiling salted water according to package directions. Drain and set aside to cool while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
2. In a large bowl, combine chopped eggs, onion, celery, red pepper, and relish.
3. In a separate smaller bowl, whisk together Miracle Whip, mustard, sugar, vinegar, salt, and celery seed. Pour over the chopped egg mixture. Add macaroni and stir until well combined.
4. Cover and chill for at least one hour before serving. We prefer to let it chill overnight before serving to allow the flavors to fully meld.

TRACEY'S NOTES:

1. We use less sugar than what's called for in most Amish Macaroni Salad recipes. If you'd like an even sweeter dressing, increase the sugar to 3/4 cup.
2. Some recipes call for up to 2 cups of Miracle Whip. So if you'd like a little "wetter" salad, add up to 1/2 cup more.
3. Use basic yellow or white onion, or Vidalia onions when they're in season.
4. This Amish Macaroni Salad recipe is adapted from Yankee Magazine.

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