PA Dutch Macaroni Salad
This recipe for Amish macaroni salad combines cooked macaroni, hard-boiled eggs, crispy veggies, and a creamy dressing with the perfect combination of sweet and tangy.
Pennsylvania Dutch macaroni salad is sure to be a hit at your next cookout or get-together. It’s truly an old-fashioned classic macaroni salad!
Summer Side Dish for BBQ
One thing I love about summer is the cookouts and barbecues. Grilled or fire-roasted meat, along with all the delicious summery side dishes, is so inviting and festive. And especially when it’s shared with family or friends over summer holidays and outings.
For me, enjoying an outdoor picnic on a beautiful summer evening, surrounded by people I love, is perfect happiness.
And give me a fat, juicy grilled hamburger with all the toppings, some homemade baked beans, sweet Amish macaroni salad, or the best Amish potato salad, and a slice of chilled watermelon. And I’d say, “That was a delightfully wonderful summer meal!” It’s some of my favorite food!
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Cooked Dressing for Macaroni Salad
To make this Amish macaroni salad with cooked dressing, you’ll want to start by cooking the dressing ingredients to give it time to cool before assembling the salad.
And even though this recipe takes a little more time than just dumping the dressing ingredients together, it is very simple to make.
In a medium-sized saucepan, whisk the egg until well beaten. Add the sugar, salt, cornstarch, and vinegar. Whisk until smooth. Add the water and mix. Cook over medium heat, whisking occasionally until it comes to a full rolling boil. Set aside to cool.
If you are in a hurry, you can set the saucepan into a bowl of ice water to cool. Stir occasionally, and it will chill very quickly.
After the cooked dressing is chilled, add the remaining dressing ingredients. Then it’s ready to pour over the cooled macaroni.
How to Make Amish Macaroni Salad
Begin by cooking the dressing.
And while that is cooling, bring 8 cups of water with 1 tsp. of salt to a rolling boil. Add the 2 cups of dry macaroni, stir, and cook it for about 10 minutes or according to package instructions.
Pour the cooked macaroni into a large strainer, rinse with cold water, and set aside to drain and cool.
Meanwhile, you can wash and chop the veggies and hard-boiled eggs.
Once the cooked dressing has chilled, add the remaining ingredients. And now you are ready to assemble all the ingredients in a large bowl. Mix until combined, and chill for several hours before serving.
Make-Ahead Macaroni Salad
I recommend making this Amish macaroni salad at least a day before you are planning to serve it.
Having the dressing mixed with the pasta overnight allows the flavors to incorporate into the macaroni, giving you a greater depth of flavor throughout the whole dish.
Anytime that I am serving guests, I try to work ahead on food prep as much as possible to avoid the stress of last-minute demands. So it’s great to have dishes that can be prepared in advance without sacrificing flavor or texture.
And this recipe for the best Amish macaroni salad is one of those dishes that tastes better when prepared in advance, so that’s a win for me!
How Long Does Macaroni Salad Last?
Macaroni salad, if properly stored, will be good for up to a week.
As soon as you have assembled your macaroni salad, place it into an airtight bowl and refrigerate. And if kept refrigerated, it will last for a week.
When serving macaroni salad at a picnic or potluck, it is recommended to place it back into the refrigerator as quickly as possible.
Make sure that you don’t leave it to sit out in the heat for longer than two hours because bacteria can begin to grow, making it unsafe to eat.
Amish Macaroni Salad vs. Regular
You may be wondering what the difference is between Amish macaroni salad and regular macaroni salad.
From what I’ve seen there’s not a lot of difference between the two, although there are many different recipes for macaroni salad. And there are also a lot of different recipes for Amish macaroni salad. Everyone has their own little twist.
Some people like to use Miracle Whip while others use Mayo. (I think it’s good with either one.) But a lot of the differences are very minor, creating only a slight difference in the taste.
The biggest difference that I’ve found between Amish macaroni salad vs. regular is the amount of sugar. Amish macaroni salad is typically sweeter. And this is no surprise since many Amish cooks tend to add a bit of sugar to almost everything.
More Amish Side Dishes that Go Well with a Summer Barbecue
Seven-Layer Lettuce Salad Recipe
Amish Macaroni Salad with Cooked Dressing
Ingredients
Macaroni Salad Dressing:
- 1 egg, beaten
- 3/4 – 1 c. sugar
- 1/4 c. white vinegar
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 Tbsp. cornstarch
- 3/4 c. water
- 1/2 c. Miracle Whip or Mayo
- 1 Tbsp. prepared mustard
- 1/2 tsp. paprika
- 1/4 – 1/2 tsp. celery seed
Macaroni Salad:
- 2 c. uncooked macaroni (boiled in 8 c. water with 1 tsp. salt)
- 3 stems celery, chopped
- 3 hard-boiled eggs, diced
- 1/4 c. green onions (3 stems, chopped) or sweet onions, chopped
- 2 Tbsp. dill relish or chopped dill pickles
- 1 small shredded carrot (optional)
- 1/4 c. sweet red pepper, chopped (optional)
Instructions
Dressing:
- Add the egg to a saucepan and whisk. Add sugar, vinegar, salt, and cornstarch, and whisk until smooth. Add the water and mix.1 egg, beaten, 3/4 – 1 c. sugar, 1/4 c. white vinegar, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1 Tbsp. cornstarch, 3/4 c. water
- Bring to a full rolling boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from the heat and set it aside to cool.
- Once the cooked mixture has chilled, add the remaining ingredients and mix until smooth.1/2 c. Miracle Whip or Mayo, 1 Tbsp. prepared mustard, 1/2 tsp. paprika, 1/4 – 1/2 tsp. celery seed
Macaroni:
- Fill a large pot with 8 cups of water and 1 tsp. salt. Bring to a rolling boil. Add the macaroni and cook for about 10 minutes, or according to package instructions.2 c. uncooked macaroni (boiled in 8 c. water with 1 tsp. salt)
- Pour the cooked macaroni into a large strainer and rinse with cold water. Set aside to cool and drain.
To Make the Macaroni Salad:
- Wash and chop the vegetables and hard-boiled eggs. Add them to a large bowl.3 stems celery, chopped, 3 hard-boiled eggs, diced, 1/4 c. green onions (3 stems, chopped) or sweet onions, chopped, 2 Tbsp. dill relish or chopped dill pickles, 1 small shredded carrot (optional), 1/4 c. sweet red pepper, chopped (optional)
- Add the cooled macaroni and pour the dressing over the top. Mix to combine.
- Chill for at least 3 hours or overnight. I recommend chilling the macaroni salad overnight, as it gives more time for the flavors to incorporate.
- Keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to a week.