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 characteristicly 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 this Amish Macaroni Salad recipe is a bit of a departure from how I typically make my macaroni salad.  But I certainly love this version, too!

When I served it at dinner a few nights ago, 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?

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

After his third bite, my husband-of-few-unprompted-words enthusiastically declared, "This is really  good!"

But what makes Amish Macaroni Salad unique, you ask?


It's its extra-creamy and flavorful sweet dressing.

The base of this macaroni salad's dressing is Miracle Whip ... not 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.  You might be skeptical ... but believe me {and my husband's enthusiastic declaration}, this sweetness is really  good.

The 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.

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

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

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

Serve up a big bowlful of this old-timey macaroni salad at your next potluck, backyard barbecue, or plain-old everyday dinner ... and watch it disappear.  

Because it's a classic favorite for a reason ~ quite simply because it's just plain good.  

Amish Macaroni Salad
Source:  Adapted from Yankee Magazine
(Printable recipe)

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. 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

Directions

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 an hour before serving. I like to let it chill overnight before serving to allow the flavors to fully meld.

NOTES:

- I 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.

- 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.

- Use basic yellow or white onion, or Vidalia onions when they're in season.

Enjoy!

Please enjoy these other tasty salads from The Kitchen is My Playground ...

Antipasto Pasta Salad

Pea Salad

Pesto Tortellini Salad with Asparagus

Sweet & Sour Slaw

Make-Ahead Layered Salad {for a Crowd}

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This post is linked with Weekend Potluck, Meal Plan Monday.