Amish Macaroni Salad

Jump to Recipe

All the best flavors combine in this Amish Macaroni Salad! Pasta, veggies, cheese and a creamy, tangy homemade dressing! The must-make summer pasta salad!

A FAST AND TASTY POTLUCK DISH

Headed to a last minute picnic, backyard barbecue or neighbors pool party? This Amish Macaroni Salad is the perfect go to side dish to take so you don’t show up empty handed! It’s super quick to make and made with plenty of summer pantry staple ingredients so you don’t have to worry about hitting the grocery store. Just spend 20 minutes tossing it together and letting it chill in the fridge while you gather your family and other supplies for hanging out and enjoying the sun with friends and family and it’ll be ready in no time.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How do I make red onion taste more mild?

If you’re not a huge fan of crispy, pungent red onion, soak the diced onion in cold water for up to 5 minutes. Be sure to drain the onion well before adding to your macaroni salad. It’ll give flavor without the potency.

What else can I add to this pasta salad?

This macaroni salad is super easy to whip up and can easily be changed up. Other options I would add to the salad are:
– hard-boiled chopped eggs
– diced cucumbers
– diced carrots
– peas
– corn kernels
– diced gherkin pickles
– chopped jalapenos
– pieces of crumbled bacon
– green olives or black olives

Can I make this macaroni salad ahead of time?

You can but keep in mind that pasta salad will continue to soak up the dressing the longer it sits so you may want to make extra dressing to stir into it. Alternatively, you can prep the ingredients up to 2 days in advance and wait to assemble until you’re ready to serve.

How to store leftover Amish Macaroni Salad?

Any leftover pasta salad should be stored in an airtight container and kept in the fridge for up to 5 days, although this macaroni salad recipe is best when you first make it. Freezing this doesn’t always turn out great, so I don’t recommend it. When you aren’t serving this dish, it should be kept refrigerated for food safety purposes.

Looking down on a large bowl of Amish Macaroni Salad.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)

uncooked elbow macaroni– other small pasta shapes are options- like bowtie, rotini, penne or ditalini.
diced celery – instead of celery you could use sliced cucumbers.
red bell pepper– can also use yellow and orange bell peppers
cubed cheddar cheese – or any other soft cheese you enjoy.
finely diced red onion – see the FAQ above about making the onion a bit more milder in taste.
mayonnaise – use your favorite brand, can be full fat or light mayo.
white wine vinegar – in place of white wine vinegar, you could use red wine vinegar, rice wine vinegar, regular white vinegar, raw apple cider vinegar, or even pickle juice.
Dijon mustard – you could use regular mustard but the dijon is more mild in flavor.
white granulated sugar – this doesn’t make the dressing super sweet. It just makes the dressing a bit more like a sweet and sour flavor.
dill – if you don’t like dill then just leave it out.
garlic powder
onion powder
red pepper flakes – this is optional.

Uncooked macaroni, red onion, red bell pepper, celery, cubed cheddar cheese, mayo, white wine vinegar, dijon mustard, white sugar, kosher salt, dill, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and red pepper flakes.

HOW TO MAKE AMISH MACARONI SALAD

Cook the macaroni in a large pot according to the direction (until al dente, about 8-11 minutes.) While the pasta is cooking, cut the vegetables. Remove the pasta from the stove. Drain the pasta under cold water to stop it from cooking. Transfer the drained pasta to a large bowl. In a medium bowl add all the dressing ingredients. Stir until fully combined then set aside.

collage of two photos: died vegetables on a cutting board; dressing ingredients mixed together in a bowl.

Pour the prepared dressing over the cooked pasta and stir well. Then add all the diced vegetables and cubed cheese.

collage of two photos: dressing poured over cooked macaroni noodles; diced veggies and cubed cheese in a bowl with macaroni.

Sir again until all the ingredients are fully coated with the dressing. Serve immediately. Note: it will be creamiest if you serve immediately. The longer it sits, the macaroni will continue to soak up the dressing but if that is not a concern to you, you can cover and place into the refrigerator until ready to enjoy.