Amish Macaroni Salad is a summertime pasta salad staple with a tangy and sweet creamy dressing. The best part about this sweet macaroni salad is that the flavor develops as it sits it is even better the next day.
This mac salad is a great side dish recipe and is a family favorite for picnics and potlucks in the summer and on holidays. It has great flavor and is on the sweet side with a tangy dressing that is different from regular macaroni salad.
Jump to:
❤️ Why you'll love it
✔️ If you love walmart’s amish macaroni salad, then this recipe will give you the same flavor profile at a fraction of the cost.
✔️ It's the perfect side dish to start the summer off with on memorial day or your next cookout.
✔️ It has the perfect combination of flavors and textures and will have friends and family asking for the recipe.
🥘 Ingredients
Elbow macaroni
Mayonnaise, most recipes call for Miracle Whip which has a sweet tangy flavor of it's own, but I am not a fan of this, so I just use real mayonnaise and add other ingredients to get a similar flavor.
Yellow mustard
Granulated sugar, to add sweetness
Apple cider vinegar, to get the tangy dressing this salad is well known for.
Hard boiled eggs, chopped and added to the salad. Cook an extra egg if desired to garnish.
Red pepper or green pepper, diced into small pieces
Celery, diced into small pieces
Scallions
Celery seed
Black pepper (for seasoning, is optional)
🔪 Instructions
- Cook the macaroni noodles according to package directions until al dente. Strain and rinse the pasta with cold water to cool it down. Set aside to drain completely.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, mustard, sugar, and apple cider vinegar until combined and sugar has dissolved. Set aside.
- In large bowl, toss together the cooked macaroni, red bell pepper, scallions, hard boiled eggs, and celery seed.
- Pour the dressing mixture over top of the pasta mixture and toss to coat.
- Cover and store in the fridge until ready to serve.
🥄 Equipment
Large pot
Colendar
Mixing bowls
Mixing spoon
🥫Storage
Store in an airtight container in the fridge up to 4 days.
📖 Variations
- Skip the addition of sugar and add a couple tablespoons of sweet relish to the dressing.
- Substitute yellow or red onions or for the scallions.
- Use your own favorite pasta shapes in place of the elbow macaroni. Good shapes to use would be bow tie pasta, shell pasta.
- Garnish with dill pickles and extra egg slices and sprinkle with some sweet paprika to finish.
💭 Tips
- For best results, make this salad at least 1 day before serving to allow flavors to develop and the pasta to absorb some of the sauce.
- Resist the urge to reduce the amount of dressing, as the salad sets, it absorbs the liquids from the dressing and it has the perfect creamy factor the next day.
- Feel free to reduce the amount of sugar in this recipe. If you prefer just a little sweet, you can probably get away with adding just 1 tablespoon of sugar rather than a half cup.
- Do not pour the dressing on hot pasta, be sure to cool the pasta completely before adding any of the ingredients.
📚 Related Recipes
This Amish Broccoli Cauliflower Salad is a huge family favorite!
Everyone loves this comforting Homemade Macaroni and Cheese.
Butternut Squash Macaroni & Cheese is a fall favorite with a sweet heat combination of flavors.
🍽 Serve with...
Serve this creamy Amish macaroni salad with your favorite grilled burgers, hotdogs, chicken, or steaks.
🏫 The last word
I grew up in what later in life became known as Amish Country in Northern NY. Many of the Amish homes will have fruit, vegetable, and food items to sell at roadside stands. While I cannot say I have had an authentic Amish recipe for macaroni salad, meaning made by an Amish person or received a recipe from an Amish person, I am going by what I have gathered from the internet as to what this salad contains for ingredients.
Don't forget to check out my Amazon storefront for some of my favorite products!
When you make this recipe, please comment below and let me know what you think. I'd love it if you tag me on Instagram @grumpyshoneybunch or #grumpyshoneybunch so I can see your photos!
If you love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating
📖 Recipe
Amish Macaroni Salad
Ingredients
For the salad
- 2 cups dried elbow macaroni , cooked per package instructions
- 3 large hard boiled eggs , chopped
- 2 stalks celery , diced
- 2 green onions , diced
- ½ medium red bell pepper , diced
- 1 teaspoon celery seed
For the dressing
- 2 cups mayonnaise
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Cook the macaroni noodles according to package directions until al dente. Strain and rinse the pasta with cold water to cool it down. Set aside to drain completely.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, mustard, sugar, and apple cider vinegar until combined and sugar has dissolved. Set aside.
- In large bowl, toss together the cooked macaroni, red bell pepper, scallions, hard boiled eggs, and celery seed.
- Pour the dressing mixture over top of the pasta mixture and toss to coat. Cover and store in the fridge until ready to serve.
Leave a comment