Amish macaroni salad is a sweet macaroni salad with a bit of a tangy crunch from all the delicious veggies folded inside.
Super creamy and a perfect cold side dish, this is the best Amish Macaroni Salad recipe to feed a crowd.
Why you will love this Sweet Amish Macaroni Salad
This sweet Amish macaroni salad varies greatly from my old fashioned macaroni salad recipe or these 20 varying macaroni salad recipes.
With red peppers and relish, you get a perfect crunch with layers of sweetness mixed in. Of course, we all know that macaroni salad and the dressing on it can be made about 100 different ways, but this one must be on the table for every party!
This is just the Amish salad recipe you have been looking for—classic, simple, and delicious.
Ingredients
What makes Amish macaroni salad Amish? This type of macaroni salad recipe has always varied a bit from house to house, but it originated in Pennsylvania.
Found at picnics and family outings, it’s a popular recipe with roots in the East. To make this extra hearty, you can also add some shredded chicken. As far as taste is concerned, everyone likes a different kind of macaroni salad, so you will enjoy this one if you like a sweet macaroni salad.
While it doesn’t have any honey in it, my husband compares the sweetness to honey mustard with all the other combined ingredients.
- macaroni
, cooked and cooled (about 2 cups dry)
- hard boiled eggs, chopped
- diced celery
- diced red pepper
- diced onion
- sweet relish
- prepared yellow mustard
- real mayonnaise
- white sugar
- salt
- coriander
How to make this salad quick!
If you have the pasta ready, it takes about 10-15 minutes to make the Amish Macaroni Salad. If you have to cook the pasta, I’d add another 15 minutes to the time. Also boiling eggs for pasta salads can be frustrating but it doesn’t have to be. A tip is to make a bunch of eggs at once in your pressure cooker! Here is my Ninja Foodi Hard Boiled Eggs Recipe.
How to make Amish Macaroni Salad
Make sure to check out the printable recipe card for full step by step instructions and ingredients.
- To get started on your macaroni salad recipe, add eggs, celery, red pepper, onion, and relish to a large mixing bowl.
- Mix well.
- Add in mustard, mayonnaise, sugar, salt, and coriander and mix well.
- Stir in elbow macaroni.
- Cover and refrigerate overnight so the sugar can dissolve.
- Stir well before serving.
How to ensure the most perfect macaroni salad
The key to a great classic Amish macaroni salad like this one (and all other types of pasta salads at that) is to make sure the noodles are not over cooked, are completely cooled down and are not sticking together. Additionally, mixing the creamy ingredients well and letting the salad sit in the fridge for up to 4 hours prior to serving gives best results.
FAQ’s
What IS Amish Macaroni Salad?
This salad is widely known as a sweet mayo mustard dressing combination that includes sweet sugar.
Does the dressing have to be made separately?
There is some truth to dressings being able to be completely mixed well and added to the noodles as a source of keeping all the ingredients evenly matched. But personally, I put all ingredients into one easy bowl, mix well, and am done. This keeps you from too many dishes, and as long as you stir well, it’s really the same thing.
Do I use miracle whip or mayo?
This is one recipe argument we get in our house. Half the family likes Miracle Whip, the other half Mayo…and the side that likes Mayo argues over Hellmann’s versus Dukes. Mayo is a personal choice, and you can use either one.
How long does Amish Macaroni Salad last?
This salad should last 3 days in a tightly sealed container. The boiled eggs on top should also last just fine. If the salad is dry, make a bit of extra dressing and re-add, stir, and serve first.
How to keep the pasta from sticking
Many people love to make pasta ahead when prepping for a holiday, including macaroni and pasta salads. Once the noodles are drained, immediately rinse them with cold water.
This helps prevent sticking and overcooking and stops unnecessary clumps of macaroni noodles.
What goes great with macaroni salad?
Typically, these types of pasta salad recipes are served intentionally with groups of people at parties, potlucks, and cookouts.
They can be served alongside other pasta salad recipes like ranch pasta salad or tuna pasta salad, serve well with dips like garlic dip, cucumber dip, or onion dip, and are complementary to sweeter side dishes like snicker apple salad.
Is Amish Macaroni Salad Healthy?
I often get asked if Amish Macaroni Salad is healthy…the truth is, what is considered healthy? Most people will tell you that pasta in and of itself is bad, but when it comes to summer food and summer salads, I say enjoy some live a little.
This salad is a delightful and sweet salad and perfect for you to enjoy over a table with friends- not worrying about a diet.
It is totally fine to leave out the added sugar or cut back on the amount of sugar. One way to enjoy the sweet without so much sugar is to substitute for Dijon Mustard.
Related Salad Side Dish Recipes
- Pesto Pasta Salad
- Pea Salad
- Mandarin Chicken Pasta Salad
- Southern Potato Salad
- Dill Potato Salad
- Watergate Salad
- Ambrosia Salad
Connect with Us!
If you try this recipe, please leave a review in the comment section – Your review helps others and is appreciated. Ensure you never miss a new side dish recipe by following us on Pinterest and signing up for our recipe email list!