AMISH MACARONI SALAD is the perfect side for your next cookout! This macaroni salad is sweet, tangy, and creamy with just the perfect amount of crunch thanks to the celery and bell peppers.
I was lucky enough to travel through Amish country a few years back. We stopped for lunch at a ‘restaurant’ that was actually a very nice barn in someone’s backyard.
I’ll admit that I didn’t know what to expect, but it certainly wasn’t the sweet peanut butter spread made with marshmallow creme (I’ll share that recipe with you soon, promise!) or the peanut butter pie with Cool Whip!
I sort of thought everything would be made from scratch and it was really interesting to see that it wasn’t!Of course, that wasn’t the only surprising thing.
The Amish macaroni salad was definitely not what I expected – it was SWEET!
I was honestly confused at the first bite, because I’d never had a sweet macaroni salad before. The classic macaroni salad I grew up eating has green olives in it, after all.
The Amish macaroni salad recipe uses Miracle Whip, something that I’ve honestly turned my nose up at for years.
But, you know what? It’s actually perfect in this tangy sweet macaroni salad.
You really just have to give this a try to see what all the fuss is about! It’s GOOD!
How to:
Amish macaroni salad stars with cooked macaroni noodles, bell peppers, celery, onion, boiled eggs, and dill relish.
The dressing is made of Miracle Whip, sugar, mustard, vinegar, salt, and celery seed.
You can certainly whisk together the macaroni salad dressing separately in it’s own bowl, but honestly, I just toss everything in one big mixing bowl and stir it up well.
Less dishes and everything gets combined just fine that way. 😉
If you’ve never had Amish macaroni salad before, it’s going to feel a little weird adding a scoop of sugar to a bowl of macaroni – especially knowing that Miracle Whip is already quite sweet.
You just have to have a little faith in the Amish and give it a go.
You can also start with just 1-2 tablespoons of sugar and then taste and increase as needed, but please note that I’ve already reduced the sugar to less than what I normally see in Amish macaroni salad recipes.
Serving:
Like most creamy macaroni salads, this is best served cold. We like to mix it together and allow it a bit of time in the fridge before serving.
Sprinkle with a bit of paprika before serving. Pro Tip: Try smoked paprika! It adds the perfect pop!
This cold salad goes great with anything off the grill, like my grilled bbq chicken or grilled teriyaki chicken. These grilled pork chops would be amazing too!
More cold pasta salads & sides:
- Creamy Cucumber Salad
- Italian Pasta Salad
- Grape Salad
- Keto Broccoli Salad
- Cauliflower Potato Salad
- Snickers Apple Salad
Amish Macaroni Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups uncooked macaroni noodles
- 2 cups Miracle Whip
- ¼ cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon celery seed
- 1/2 teaspoon cracked pepper
- 3 large hard boiled eggs
- 1 small sweet onion
- 3 stalks celery
- 1 small red bell pepper
- ¼ cup dill pickle relish
- Paprika for garnish
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium heat. Add the macaroni and cook according to package directions. Drain and place in a large bowl. Rinse with cold water.
- Add the Miracle Whip, sugar, mustard, vinegar, salt, and celery seed to a small bowl and whisk to combine.
- Chop the eggs, onion, celery, and pepper into small pieces. Add to the bowl of macaroni with the pickle relish.
- Pour the dressing over the pasta and stir well to coat. Taste and add additional salt, if needed.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour. Sprinkle with paprika before serving.
Tips & Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Robin Smith-Kupfer says
This was so good. I added some tuna to it. It was so good
Karly says
Oh, yum! Great idea!
Angela says
I love this salad.
Robin Smith says
Add tuna, so good
Carol Lang says
Haven’t tried it yet, but definitely going to very soon!
Karly says
Hope you love it!
Vickie says
Thanks for the memory Karly. My Mother made macaroni salad almost like this. First of all, I was an adult before I knew the difference between MW and mayo! Mom always used MW but I don’t remember her adding more sugar to the dressing for mac salad and she always used sweet pickle relish. Instead of vinegar, she would use a little bit of pickle juice. This looks just like hers did.
Just curious as we live downstate from you-did you happen to go to the Amish villages in and around Arthur/Arcola, IL? In case you don’t know, you can book a dinner to eat with the Amish there. I had a coworker who used to do that once in awhile.
Karly says
I know a lot of people use the sweet pickle, I just hate them. I don’t mind dill pickles in sweet things, but can’t handle sweet pickles ever. Haha! But either way, I’m sure you could swap them out with no problem to be more like mamas. 🙂
I haven’t been to Arcola, but we used to go to Tuscola about once a summer to shop at the big outlet mall and we’d always have lunch at the Amishland buffet and shop there too. We’re in the midst of a major remodel and our kitchen cabients are coming from an Amish family in Arthur. 🙂
Kathleen Welch says
I love this recipe. It tastes exactly like my mother’s did. Except she rarely used bell peppers in hers. Thanks for the reminder of loved food and people.
Karly says
So glad you enjoyed the recipe and it could bring back a memory. 🙂
Karen says
I would like the recepe for cooked mayonnaise. Please send if possible.
katherine boone says
I love this but my goofy family will not eat the crunchies,, best part in my opinion!!!
Candy says
I really want to make this tonight, but have no Miracle Whip. Would regular mayo work? I know it wouldn’t be as sweet.
Barb says
If you want really good “Amish” macaroni salad, use a cooked dressing-some of the ingredients are similar but use mayo, not MW (yuck). Also, many do not have peppers but rather shredded carrots and chopped celery and no onion. There are many recipes but once you have the cooked dressing there is no equal. PA “Dutch” born and bred
Karen Los says
Do you have a recipe for cooked dressing? Never tried it. If so, please e-mail it to kbl1964@comcast.net. Thanks
BarbaraGableman says
What is cooked dressing and how do you make it?
Karly says
I’m sure it would work fine with mayo, but it will alter the taste, of course. You could adjust the sugar and vinegar until it tastes a bit more like the Miracle Whip.
Karl says
Karly, when you say 2 cups of uncooked macaroni, do you mean a 1 pound box or should I measure out two cups?
Thanks!
Karly says
Hi Karl! 2 cups is about a half pound of dry macaroni. 🙂
Kathie says
Hi Karly!! This reminds me of the Mac salad my mom used to make and she was from New England!! I live in PA Dutch county and this tastes absolutely perfect!?
Karly says
Awesome! Hope you give this version a try. 🙂