Summer is a social time, so it’s helpful to have a recipe like this Amish macaroni salad in your repertoire. It’s easy to make, keeps well in the refrigerator and goes well with all the usual summer dishes like burgers, ribs and sausages.
Best of all, it’s the kind of recipe you can make a day or two ahead of time. Not only does it free up your time on the “day of,” it actually gets better after sitting overnight in your fridge.
Ingredients for Amish Macaroni Salad
- Macaroni: This inexpensive pasta provides a hearty base for this salad and adds some protein too.
- Mayonnaise or Miracle Whip: Both options provide a creamy base for the salad’s dressing, and some tang as well. Miracle Whip adds to the salad’s sweetness; mayo helps keep it more neutral.
- Sugar: Sugar balances the tart and pungent flavors in the dressing. Amish macaroni salad leans deliberately to the sweet side—that’s what makes it distinctive—but you can reduce the quantity of sugar if you prefer less sweetness (see Variations, below).
- Pickle relish: Relish brings color and a mildly tart flavor to the salad.
- Mustard, vinegar, celery seed and salt: These flavoring ingredients pack some pungency and tang to balance the sugar. Mustard helps color the dressing as well, and the celery seed reinforces the flavor of the fresh celery ribs.
- Celery, onion and sweet pepper: These aromatic vegetables add crunch, color and bright flavors to the salad.
- Eggs: The chopped hard-boiled eggs add another texture to the salad and bring some concentrated protein as well.
Directions
Step 1: Cook the pasta
Bring a large saucepan of water to a full rolling boil. Cook the macaroni according to the directions on the package (cooking times vary widely between brands). Drain the pasta, and rinse it with cold water. Cool the macaroni completely before proceeding.
Step 2: Make the dressing
In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise or Miracle Whip, sugar, relish, vinegar, mustard, celery seed and salt to form a dressing.
Step 3: Assemble the salad
In a larger bowl, combine the cooked pasta with the vegetables and chopped eggs. Add the dressing, and gently toss everything together until the macaroni is thoroughly coated. Cover the bowl and refrigerate until serving.
Amish Macaroni Salad Variations
- Make a less-sweet version: It’s just not an authentic Amish macaroni salad recipe without the sugar, but if you aren’t used to this style of pasta salad, it can be a bit much. Depending on your personal taste (and whether you use Miracle Whip, which is sweeter than mayo), you can take the sugar down to as little as 1/4 cup. Start with that amount and taste the dressing, then add more until you’re happy with the balance of sweet and tart flavors.
- Swap out the pasta: Elbow macaroni is the standard choice, but you can use another bite-sized pasta if you prefer. Cavatappi (“scooby-doo”), bowties and fusilli are all equally suitable options, and there are many more to choose from.
- Bulk it up with protein: Amish macaroni salad goes well with burgers, sausages, ribs and all your other summertime favorites. If you’d like to skip the entree and make the salad into a whole meal in its own right, just jack up the protein. Cold chicken, turkey or leftover roast meats; canned tuna, salmon or crab; diced ham or crumbled bacon; and even diced or shredded cheese are all excellent choices.
How long does Amish macaroni salad last?
Amish macaroni salad will keep for four or five days in the refrigerator, if you refrigerate it immediately after it’s made. If it was on the table throughout your meal, you should use it up within three to four days at most. If it sat outside on a hot day through your barbecue or block party for two hours or longer, the leftovers should be discarded.
Can I make Amish macaroni salad ahead of time?
Yes, this is a sturdy salad, and it holds up well when prepared in advance (that’s one reason for its popularity as a potluck dish). In fact, its flavors will mellow and deepen if it’s made at least a day ahead. It will keep for up to five days if the bowl is in the coldest part of your fridge, though you may find that the peppers begin to soften. It’s usually best to prep the salad no more than two days in advance, so the vegetables remain at their best.
Amish Macaroni Salad Tips
How can I keep the macaroni from being mushy?
It’s important to not cook your macaroni past the “al dente” stage (still slightly firm) when you’re making a pasta salad. The pasta will absorb moisture from the dressing as it sits in the fridge, and that makes it softer. You also can’t skip rinsing the macaroni with cold water, after it’s drained. The cold water stops the pasta from continuing to cook in its own steam as it sits in the colander, which can make your salad mushy.
Why didn’t my Amish macaroni salad stay creamy?
As your salad sits in the refrigerator the pasta will slowly absorb moisture from the dressing. That’s a good thing, because it means it’s absorbing flavors as well, but it also means your salad will lose some of its creaminess. If you’re making your salad in advance, it’s best to keep back about 1/3 of the dressing. Stir that in just before serving, and your salad will have the creaminess you expect.
Is it true I can’t eat Amish macaroni salad if I’m lactose intolerant?
Some versions of this salad use sour cream or evaporated milk in the dressing. Our Amish macaroni salad recipe has no dairy ingredients at all, so you can safely eat it even if you’re lactose-intolerant or have a dairy allergy.
