When I saw a recipe for Amish macaroni salad, I knew it would be amazing. I was fortunate to make many trips to Pennsylvania when we had our little manufacturing business, and it was there that I became smitten with their culture.
Food is a large part of Amish life; they work close to the land. That means they use locally grown and produced ingredients in their cooking. Amish families often work together and enjoy large family meals together every day, and they are extremely hospitable, always ready to share a meal with guests. The Amish are legendary good cooks!
This Amish macaroni salad is so easy to make! There’s a new macaroni salad recipe going around that uses a whole can of sweetened condensed milk, and it’s probably great, but that seems a little over the top to me. This recipe includes some sugar, but a much smaller amount, and apple cider vinegar to balance the creamy dressing to a tangy sweetness.
The vegetables in this yummy Amish macaroni salad are crisp and fresh. Celery and red peppers for color and crunch, red onions for mild onion flavor, and more color! Sweet pickle relish adds a touch of tang, and hard-cooked eggs add creaminess to the dressing!
I used ordinary elbow macaroni, but you can use any pasta shape you like. Whatever shape of pasta you choose, cook it to “al dente,” so it doesn’t get sad and mushy. That means you’ll probably want to cook it for a little less time than it says on the box!
The cooked macaroni will absorb quite a little dressing as it chills; you may even want to add a little more mayonnaise before you serve it.
Cook the macaroni in plenty of boiling salted water until it reaches that perfect stage with a little “bite” to it. Drain thoroughly and refill the pot with cold water to chill it and stop the cooking process.
You may even want to drain it and refill the pot with cold water again so all the warmth has gone out of the pasta. When it’s good and cold, drain it thoroughly.
Here’s how to make perfect hard-cooked eggs ahead of time quickly in an Instant Pot using the 5-5-5 method.
Set the Instant Pot to high-pressure cooking and five minutes of cooking time. Put eggs on the rack or trivet in your Instant Pot and add one cup of water.
When the Instant Pot signals the cooking time is done, set a five-minute timer. This is an important step. Do not quick-release the pressure yet.
THEN, When the five-minute timer sounds, quick-release the remaining pressure and remove the eggs. Finally, for five more minutes, put them in an ice-water bath (or at least the coldest tap water you can run.)
It will take the same amount of water and time to cook as many eggs as possible in a single layer in your Instant Pot. I find having some hard-boiled eggs for snacks and salad toppings handy!
Tap the eggs against the side of the sink to crack the shells, roll the eggs between your hands, and pop the peels off! Peeled or unpeeled, hard-cooked eggs will stay fresh in the fridge for a week, and they’re great to keep on hand!
Mash the eggs and add them to the dressing. I have literally used a potato masher to do this. The egg yolks are so bright and deep yellow because my egg lady Steph has happy chickens that eat fresh greens!
While the macaroni cooks, make the simple dressing of mayonnaise, sugar, apple cider vinegar, plain yellow mustard, salt and pepper, and a little whole milk or cream. I whipped up the dressing right in the bowl where I would serve the salad because I’m lazy!
Dump the macaroni into the bowl, add the veggies, eggs, and pickle relish, and fold everything together.
If you want to add a little more salt and pepper, now is the time to do it. I thought I tasted amazing, just like it was! Stir until all the ingredients are well mixed and coated with the yummy dressing.
Our lives are so busy; sometimes, there’s simply no time to make this Amish macaroni salad from start to finish in one session. I learned a few tricks when I worked in food service, and one of the handiest hints I learned is how to cook pasta ahead and store it for later use.
You can cook the macaroni (or any pasta) to al dente, chill and drain it, and put it in a Ziploc bag in the refrigerator. A small amount of olive oil can be added to keep the pasta separated.
You’re good to go when you’re ready to use it in a salad! Just dump it into a bowl and add the other ingredients! If you’re adding a sauce and serving the pasta hot, plunge it into a pot of boiling water until it is heated and drain it. You can do this right in a strainer!
You can also dice the vegetables ahead of time and store them in a Ziploc bag for a couple of days!
Sometimes, we only have a few minutes to do things, so I hope these time-saving tips come in handy!
I have also used gluten free pasta for this recipe with good results.
The best macaroni salad is easy to make. It consists of lots of crunchy vegetables in a creamy dressing with just the right amount of sweetness.
*You can use a green pepper, but the colored ones are sweeter and easier to digest.
Nutrition information isn't always accurate
Here are two of our favorite salads, Marinated Vegetable Salad and Amazing Kraut Salad, which are ideal for picnics and potlucks because they don't contain mayonnaise. Please watch for more salad recipes because summertime is salad time!
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Love, GB (Betty Streff)
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