Amish Macaroni Salad
This Amish Macaroni Salad is the ultimate potluck classic, known for its distinctively creamy, sweet, and tangy dressing. Unlike a standard deli macaroni salad, the Amish version leans into a “sweet-and-sour” profile using sugar and vinegar, balanced by the earthy crunch of celery seed. It is colorful, hearty, and—most importantly—it gets better the longer it sits in the fridge, making it the perfect make-ahead side dish.
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Amish Macaroni Salad
Ingredients:
| Ingredient | Amount |
| Uncooked elbow macaroni | 2 1/2 cups |
| Miracle Whip (see notes) | 2 cups |
| Granulated sugar | 1/3 cup |
| Hard-boiled eggs (chopped) | 3 |
| Celery (diced) | 3 stalks |
| Yellow mustard | 3 tablespoons |
| Dill pickle relish | 2 tablespoons |
| White vinegar | 2 teaspoons |
| Celery seed | 3/4 teaspoon |
| Sweet onion (diced) | 1/4 cup |
| Red bell pepper (seeded and diced) | 1 large |
| Salt | 1/4 teaspoon |
| Black pepper | 1/4 teaspoon |
How To Make Amish Macaroni Salad:
Step 1: Boil and Chill: Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook for 8/10 minutes until tender. Drain the pasta and immediately rinse it with cold water.
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Tip: Rinsing is crucial here! It washes away excess starch so the noodles don’t stick together and stops the cooking process instantly so the macaroni stays firm rather than turning to mush in the dressing.
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Step 2: Whisk the Dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk together the Miracle Whip, relish, mustard, sugar, vinegar, salt, pepper, and celery seed until the sugar is fully dissolved and the mixture is silky smooth.
Step 3: Combine: In a large bowl, toss the cooled macaroni with the dressing until every noodle is coated. Gently fold in the chopped eggs, diced onion, celery, and red bell pepper.
Step 4: The Deep Chill: Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. This resting period allows the pasta to absorb the flavors and the dressing to thicken into that iconic creamy consistency.
