Classic comfort right there 🥰 Amish Macaroni Salad is creamy, slightly sweet, tangy, and always the first bowl to disappear at potlucks.
🥗 Amish Macaroni Salad
Serves 6–8
🧺 Ingredients
- 2 cups elbow macaroni (uncooked)
- 3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
- 1 cup celery, finely chopped
- ½ cup red onion, finely chopped
- ½ cup shredded carrot (optional but traditional)
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 tbsp yellow mustard
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp paprika (optional)
👩🍳 Instructions
1. Cook the pasta
- Boil macaroni in well-salted water until just tender.
- Drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking. Let drain well.
2. Make the dressing
- In a large bowl, whisk together:
- Mayonnaise
- Sugar
- Mustard
- Apple cider vinegar
- Salt & pepper
This sweet-tangy dressing is the signature Amish flavor.
3. Assemble
- Add cooled macaroni to the dressing.
- Fold in eggs, celery, onion, and carrot.
- Mix gently until evenly coated.
4. Chill
- Cover and refrigerate at least 1–2 hours (overnight is even better).
- Stir before serving; add a splash of milk or mayo if needed.
🌟 Amish Kitchen Tips
- Finely chopped veggies = creamier salad
- Slight sweetness is traditional — don’t skip the sugar
- Yellow mustard (not Dijon) keeps it authentic
- Paprika on top makes it potluck-pretty
🔄 Variations
- Add sweet pickle relish or chopped bread-and-butter pickles
- Swap red onion for green onions for milder flavor
- Add diced ham or cheddar cheese for a heartier version
- Make it extra creamy with an extra hard-boiled egg mashed into the dressing
If you want, I can also share:
- Amish potato salad
- Amish broccoli salad
- Old-fashioned picnic macaroni salad
- Low-sugar Amish version