This recipe for authentic Amish Macaroni Salad is everything you’d expect from a Pennsylvania Dutch macaroni salad recipe. Bold in flavor, it’s sweet, tangy, and creamy in texture. Using cooked egg yolks for the pasta dressing makes this a unique rich treat. A perfect make-ahead side dish for any main course.
Growing in the middle of Kansas, horse-drawn carriages, Amish straw hats and girls in full length dresses wearing kapps were very common site in our community.
Yoder, a nearby town is the hub of the largest Amish Community in Kansas and just a few miles from our farm.
With that said, I’m no stranger to Amish cuisine. Amish restaurants were our preferred choice when dining out.
This recipe however, comes from the Lancaster County Cookbook. The book is a compilation of recipes submitted by residents of Lancaster County, many of whom are famous for their Pennsylvania Dutch Amish cooking traditions.
Being a lover of Macaroni Salad Recipes, it’s no surprise I chose this Dutch Amish Macaroni Salad for the first recipe to try from the book.
It’s very reminiscent of the macaroni salads I enjoyed at Amish restaurants.
The creamy salad dressing which contains cooked egg yolks, condensed milk and Miracle whip is just the beginning of its authentic charm.
Adding a good amount of sugar makes this a sweet macaroni salad, mustard and vinegar bring a tangy layer of flavor. And celery and onion add a bit of crunch.
Let’s take a look at why this recipe works so well.
A Macaroni Salad with Evaporated Condensed Milk
A pasta salad recipe that will always catch my attention, is a good old fashioned Amish macaroni salad with evaporated milk.
Using evaporated milk, (unsweetened condensed milk) adds a very creamy texture to macaroni salads. Evaporated milk tastes like milk with a slightly sweeter flavor due to the process in which it’s made. It’s also slightly thicker and creamier making it a popular addition to any pasta salad. It’s key to making a this Amish pasta salad.
An Old Fashioned Macaroni Salad with Miracle Whip
“Dressing” was used in the list of ingredients in this recipe for describing it’s mayonnaise base.
Growing up in Kansas the word dressing always meant Miracle Whip, as opposed to salad dressing. As I’m assuming was the case for this recipe. I actually grew up calling Miracle Whip “dressing”.
We used it in Ham Salad Sandwiches, in Classic potato salad and cole slaw. Miracle whip has a sweeter flavor than mayonnaise and using it was the norm to make many dishes.
Another recipe similar in culture to this, is this recipe for old fashioned Pea Salad with Eggs.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Hard Boiled Eggs, whites and yolks separated.
- Evaporated Milk
- Sugar: Makes this a traditional sweet Amish Macaroni Salad,
- Macaroni noodles
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Sweet onion
- Miracle Whip: This Amish macaroni salad is made with Miracle Whip, which has a slightly sweeter flavor than mayonnaise.
- Carrot
- Yellow Mustard
- Salt: Since attending Culinary School, I’m hooked on the pure salty flavor of Kosher salt. Sea salt and regular salt will work fine.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Evaporated Milk: If you simply don’t have, or don’t want to use evaporated milk, you can substitute whole milk, half and half or cream. Avoid low fat milk as the sauce won’t be as creamy and rich.
- Macaroni Noodles: Elbow macaroni is traditional for Amish Macaroni Salads, but play around and use any curved shaped noodle. Pasta shells or curly cavatappi are good choices here.
- Vinegar: Use Apple Cider Vinegar or White Vinegar for this recipe. Avoid red wine vinegar or other seasoned vinegars.
- Miracle Whip: Substitute mayonnaise.
- Onion: I always prefer sweet onions, yellow onions, or white onions. Avoid using red onions, as their flavor profile will overwhelm the salad.
- Mustard: No substitutions here please. Dijon or whole grain mustards will change the flavor profile. Stick with yellow prepared mustard.
- Sweet Pickle Relish: I’ve never had an Amish Macaroni Salad that contained pickle relish. It would just add another layer of sweetness which would alter the perfect balance of sweet and tangy. I say skip it.
Step by Step Instructions, It’s Easy
- Step 1: Make The Dressing. Start by separating the yolks from the egg whites. In a large bowl, combine the egg yolks with the mustard. Use the back of a fork to mash the ingredients together until well blended.
- Step 2: Add in the Miracle Whip, sugar, condensed milk, vinegar and salt.
- Step 3: Use a whisk to blend the salad dressing until smooth.
- Step 4: In the meantime, cook elbow macaroni noodles according to package instructions for “tender stage”. Before draining, scoop out some of that starchy pasta water. Briefly rinse the macaroni with cold water then transfer to a large bowl. Add chopped celery, chopped onions and shredded carrots.
Pro Tip: Why is pasta water good for pasta sauce? Don’t throw all of that pasta cooking liquid down the drain, It's liquid gold. It's a must to add to any sauce for any pasta dish. It's high in starch and this salty starchy water helps the sauce cling to the pasta while helping to thicken the sauce. It turns any pasta dish into a luxurious pasta dish.
- Step 5: Add chopped egg whites.
- Step 6: Pour the dressing over the macaroni noodles.
Tip: The easiest way to dice those soft egg whites is to use a large chef knife. Place egg whites on a cutting board. Use your free hand to place on the top of the knife blade to guide the knife as you chop. Use a rocking motion to start chopping the egg whites, rotating the cutting board after a few chops as you go.
- Step 7: Use a large spoon to gently blend the ingredients. The mixture will seem a little soupy, but you’ll allow the macaroni salad to rest in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap, for a couple hours to “set up”. Or even better, overnight.
FAQ’s
Traditional Amish Macaroni Salad uses Miracle Whip rather than mayonnaise for the dressing base. An Amish Macaroni Salad has a sweeter flavor profile than other savory versions.
Cook the pasta according to package instructions for “tender”. Pasta that’s cooked to the “tender stage”, rather than a la dente, won’t continue to absorb the dressing quite as much. If the pasta absorbs too much, it will dry out.
Shredding carrots can be a tedious task. Using the large holes of a good old fashioned box grater is the easiest and most efficient way to shred carrots.
Pro Tip Knife Skills: Always keep the hand that’s gripping the knife clean and dry. A wet hand could cause slips resulting in nicks or worse a nasty slice on your hand.
Tips For Success
- Make Ahead. The beauty of this macaroni salad is its make ahead factor. If possible let the salad sit, covered, in the refrigerator overnight. It just keeps getting better the longer you can let it rest. The macaroni absorbs the flavor so every bite is a perfect balance of sweet and tangy.
- Don’t over cook the pasta. Doing so will yield a “mushy” macaroni salad.
- After cooking, let the macaroni cool slightly before continuing with the recipe. You want the macaroni just hot enough for the vegetables to release their flavors and hold their crunch, rather than wilt from too much heat.
- Make sure you grab a can of regular evaporated milk rather than a can of sweetened condensed milk. They are two different products, and using the latter will make the salad too sweet.
- This is a mayonnaise based macaroni salad. If taking this to a pot luck or picnic, make sure it doesn’t sit without refrigeration for more than two hours.
Storage
- Store macaroni salad, covered, or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
This Pennsylvania Dutch macaroni salad with its bold flavor and sweet profile is a great partner for spicy barbecue sauced chicken or ribs. And a perfect side dish for any grilled entree, especially a grilled burger.
And as far as macaroni salads go, this is a quick and easy recipe that will find your whole family digging in and asking for seconds.
I’ve never had the Walmart Macaroni Salad, but I’ve been told this recipe is spot on. If you’re looking to replicate their version, I hope you give it a try.
More Macaroni Salad Recipes
- Pioneer Woman’s Pasta Salad, A nice combination of flavors includes black olives and pickles and of course with mayonnaise.
- Creamy Smoked Mozzarella Penne Pasta Salad Penne pasta becomes special with cubes of smoked mozzarella, roasted red bell peppers and a creamy Parmesan sauce.
- Old Fashioned Classic Macaroni Salad, Perfectly sweet, creamy and tangy.
And don’t miss our favorite pasta salad recipe for Cheese Tortellini Pasta Salad. It’s simply amazing.
And if you’re looking for more side dish recipes, don’t miss my Side Dish Category. You’ll find lots of great recipes including a fun lineup of potato salad recipes. And the most popular side dish recipe on my site for good old fashioned Broccoli Cheez Whiz Rice Casserole.
And check out my Chicken Macaroni Salad if you’re looking for a main course pasta dish.
And if you’re looking for even more side dishes for picnic style gatherings, don’t miss this line-up of Summer cook-out sides. I’m positive you’ll find something you love.
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Old Fashioned Lancaster County Amish Macaroni Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound elbow macaroni cooked according to package directions
- 1 cup celery chopped
- 1 carrot grated
- ½ cup sweet onion diced
- 4 hard boiled eggs divided, egg yolks and whites separated
- For the dressing
- 4 egg yolks hard boiled
- 4 tablespoons yellow mustard
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 cup Miracle Whip or mayonnaise
- ½ cup Evaporated milk canned
- ⅓ cup vinegar white or cider
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- reserved hot pasta water
Instructions
- Cook macaroni according to package directions for "tender stage". Right before draining, take a measuring cup and scoop out about a ¼ cup of that hot starchy pasta water. Drain pasta and let cool for a few minutes.
- While macaroni is cooking, Separate the eggs whites from the egg yolks. Set the yolks aside. Using a cutting board and a chef knife, dice whites of eggs.
- Prepare dressing: In a medium bowl, using the back of a fork mash hard boiled egg yolks with mustard and blend well. Add sugar, mayonnaise, milk, vinegar and salt to egg and mustard mixture.
- Drain pasta and let cool for a few minutes. Place macaroni in a large bowl. Stir in celery, carrot and onion. Add a couple tablespoons of hot pasta water. Stir in the dressing until well blended. Mixture will appear soupy but will set up during the rest period.
- Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for a couple of hours and preferably overnight before serving.
Notes
- Make Ahead. The beauty of the macaroni salad is its make ahead factor. If possible let the salad sit, covered, in the refrigerator overnight. It just keeps getting better the longer you can let it rest. The macaroni absorbs the flavor of the dressing so every bite is a perfect balance of sweet and tangy.
- Don’t over cook the pasta. Doing so will yield a “mushy” macaroni salad.
- After cooking, let the macaroni cool slightly before continuing with the recipe. You want the macaroni just hot enough for the vegetables to release their flavors and hold their crunch, rather than wilt them.
- Make sure you grab a can of regular evaporated milk rather than a can of sweetened condensed milk. They are two different products, and using the latter will make the salad too sweet.
- This is a mayonnaise based macaroni salad. If taking this to a pot luck or picnic, make sure it doesn’t sit without refrigeration for more than two hours.
Nutrition
Pennsylvania Dutch, Amish Macaroni Salad …It’s What’s for a Summer Side Dish.
This recipe was first published July of 2011 and updated July 2023 with step by step instructions.
Why Trust My Recipes? I am a Culinary School Graduate and a lifelong student of home cooking. I hope to inspire you try to cook as often as you can. I’ve been cooking for 50 years, and my recipes are tried and true tested and tested and then tested again before published. To read more take a look at my About Page.
I grew up and spent most of my lfe so far in Lancaster, I even made this weekly in the deli I worked in. I just moved out of state and hungry for some hometown comfort food, I found this trying to google a recipe as close to what I used to make. The only difference with my deli recipe is we used regular milk but I tried this with evaporated milk and honestly it tastes better and much more like the mac salad my grandma makes! So happy thanks for sharing!
There is nothing better than friends sharing gifts! Especially food gifts. My aunt used to make macaroni salad. I haven’t seen it in years! This is fun. I’ll have to recreate those happy memories of her salad.
Thanks Kristi.
I am from Lancaster, and I grew up on macaroni salad, pot pie, potatoe salad, chow chow, knep, ham loafs and so on. I have lived all over the USA and I never tire of these foods,. Whenever I was invited to a picnic somewhere I always brought red beet eggs, whoopie pies, etc and people always loved them. When my ex who was military had bake sales for the base I always had requests, my items sold out everytime because they were unique to the guys. This looks the right color and consistency minus the elbow part. I was just thinking about one fellow from Chicago when he was invited for dinner would always ask, are you making that pot pie stuff, he loved it. My Mother bought him a local cookbook at the farmers market so he could have a sample of Pa recipes.
Thank you so much for stopping by and the comment. My very good friend is from Lancaster, so I’ve learned a few things from her. Even how to pronounce it right. 🙂
I can imagine so many things that you can do with the pepper jam. I know Southern Living had a great pork chops w/ pepper jelly recipe that was excellent.
I love that idea Chris.
I have been craving macaroni salad! This recipe looks like a classic! Nice of your friends to have brought back the book!
It’s packed full of flavor. You might need to adjust abit.
Pennsylvania Dutch cooking is stick to your ribs, comfort food. I love it. I have not made macaroni salad in years. I am thinking that the next bbq, I need to offer to bring a side dish.
Awesome post.
Velva
I agree Velva. My mom is Dutch.
The PA Dutch are actually Germans; maybe you knew. They call themselves “Dutch” because they are “Deutsch”, or German. Not Holland Dutch. I am Pennsy Dutch (but not “plain” or Amish).
Thanks so much for stopping in and the comment. My mom’s family was from Bavaria. But for some reason she always made reference to being Dutch.
I have trouble with macaroni salad becoming running the next day. What am I doing wrong. Please help family loves this but not the next day 😜
Re: macaroni salad separating. You’re not doing anything wrong at all. When mixing ingredients that contain vinegar, mayo and sugar, the vinegar will cause the ingredients to separate.
Just giving the macaroni a good stir should bring it all back together.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
Love this, Lea Ann. My mom used to make macaroni salad and it was always one of my summertime favorites. She used to put mashed egg yolks into thousand island dressing and we thought it was great. I bet that fig jam is delicious.
Cathy, I would have liked to have made this with traditional elbow macaroni. When hubs walked in with this curly version, I asked him if that looked like his elbow??? 🙂
Hahaha…good one!
I’ve definitely never heard of mashed egg yolks mixed into dressings! Sounds tasty!
I don’t think I’ve ever heard of mashing egg yolks, or condensed milk in a pasta salad.
this is so easy n really nice recipe..
Tasty Appetite
So comforting. …and love those swirly noodles!
I adore cookbooks like this Lea Ann. My mother used to make a delicious macaroni salad…I’ll have to look it up and compare. I haven’t made one in ages. My, this brought back some happy picnic memories from Michigan days!
It looks good LA and I can imagine anything from the Pa Dutch to be good.
Well being from Kansas Dutch, I agree. 🙂
Macaroni salad and barbecue chicken is such a great combo – like summer on a plate! This recipe sounds really good, too with the mustard and sweet. This sort of salad is such a great thing to keep in the fridge for a quick side. Love your photos, too – really colorful.
I love cookbooks like this Lea Ann; similar to the church cookbooks I’ve got in my collection. Nothing pretentious; really just good old fashioned barbecue, picnic, pot luck type food.
LOVE the story about Miracle Whip…it could have been mine. I’m from Missouri; maybe it’s a Midwestern thing?
This does look like the perfect accompanyment to some bbq. How nice of your friends to bring you back such a nice gift. Right up your alley.
You sure have some nice friends to bring back goodies for you from their trip Lea Ann. Your macaroni salad sounds perfect with the BBQ chicken as you suggested. Hope you had a great Independence Day.
Sam
Sam, I kept their little dog while they were in PA. Even though she was no work or bother at all, they brought me these things as a thank you.
looks irresistably hearty..
chanced upon your space while blog hopping..
amazing space you have…very interesting posts..
Am your happy subscriber now..;)
do stop by mine sometime..
Tasty Appetite
Did I tell you I was born in Bethlehem? Been awhile since I saw some PA Dutch food!
I don’t know if you did or not … Man, we’ll have to talk about some of that good food next time we get together.
My grandma calls Miracle Whip and Mayo dressing. Ha! This sounds like a good pasta salad. Happy 4th, Lea Ann!
Your grandma and my mother are probably about the same age, maybe it’s a generational thing.
I USE MIRACLE WHIP FOR EVERYTHING BUT DO NOT KNDERSTAND THE USE FOR THE SUGARIN THE RECIPE, THAT IS A LOT! IF ANY I WOULD USE A TABLESPOON AND THAT IS IT. I HAVE MADE MACCARONI SALAD LIKE THIS BUT ADD RED & GREEN CHOPPED PEPPER, GIVES IT MORE FLAVOR & COLOR
There were a lot of Dutch near my hometown. It was always a contest between the Mennonites and them over who cooked the best.
Growing up a stone’s throw away from Yodor, and my mom being Dutch, I know exactly what you’re talking about. I’m voting for the Dutch. 🙂
That looks great. Perfect for the fourth. We grew up in Md. Some pretty great stuff comes out of Lancaster.
I’ve never been. One of these days I’ll make a trip back east.
I have been to the shop you mention, great shopping. I use MIRACLE WHIP for everything, wouldnt think of using anything else. Guess it goes back to living in Ohio as a child where my mother & grandmother always had a jar in the frig. Cant break old habits even living now in Arizona
Very cool about being to that shop. Growing up, we always had miracle whip. Didn’t know “mayonnaise” existed until I was an adult. 😉