Amish Macaroni Salad

Amish Macaroni Salad is an American classic! I’ve always wanted to learn how to make this and with some recent inspiration, I think I’ve finally succeeded! A high school classmate recently made some of this fabulous salad for our “Class of ’76” gathering. After finding out  her ingredients, I searched for a similar recipe to acquire necessary quantities proportional to the amount of macaroni I wanted to use.

First, cook the macaroni about a minute or two short of the al dente stage; drain and cool. Two cups of dry macaroni yielded about 6 cups of cooked pasta. The shorter cooking time allows for a firmer pasta that won’t break apart when blending with the dressing.

Next, slice and finely dice the celery, green peppers, onions and pickles. Shred the carrots. In addition to these, you could also add 3 large hard-boiled eggs that have been finely diced.

Blend together the Miracle Whip, mustard, vinegar, sugar and salt. If you like celery seed, you could blend in about 1/2 teaspoon here as well.

Place cooled macaroni in a glass bowl. Pour dressing on top with the chopped ingredients. With a rubber spatula, carefully mix to coat pasta evenly. Cover and refrigerate to chill before serving.

Oh, yum! I had to get a spoon out to try this before I moved it to the fridge!  I’ll be snacking on this throughout the day just to “taste-test” for “quality control.” All I can say is you’ve got to make this!

Amish Macaroni Salad may seem like a summer side dish, but this can be enjoyed, or shared with others, any time of year! It would be great for pot lucks!