If you’re from anywhere near Amish country, this macaroni salad has probably been served on your table at some point in history. Maybe it was a family dinner served with pork and potatoes or maybe it was a chicken bar-b-que on the grill, no matter what, this macaroni salad goes with just about any food. It’s sweet and tangy, crunchy and chewy. The eggs and mayo add some protein, sugar sweetens it to your taste.
Until my son had this pasta salad at work and requested I figure out how to make it, I hadn’t even considered trying to recreate it. Once I committed to the gluten-free lifestyle, this became a favorite from childhood, never to be eaten again. It wasn’t an option to get it in a store anymore because it’s made with wheat pasta and the dressing is made with nasty, GMO oils. I started recreating it from the ground up.
I used gluten-free rice macaroni*. (But, you can use wheat pasta, if you’d like.)
I made some homemade mayo with this recipe.
I steamed some of my pastured eggs using this method.
And, I bought organic carrots and celery to top it off.
Recipe … reinvented.
The Amish community loves things that are sweet and sour and this recipe does not disappoint. I tend towards liking a little more vinegar, my son towards a little more sweet. Since I hadn’t tasted Amish Macaroni Salad for at least 5 years, I relied on his taste buds to tell me when it was just right. Feel free to play with the sugar and vinegar ratios to find your perfect balance.
*Note for those using rice pasta: The macaroni will continue to draw in moisture from the dressing over time. If you don’t eat it all the first time it is served, you may need to add a little bit more mayonnaise and a little bit of milk to the salad to loosen it up after 24 hours in the refrigerator. Sorry, it’s just the nature of rice pasta.
- 12 oz. macaroni, cooked and cooled (rice pasta for gluten-free version)
- 2 hard-cooked eggs*, diced
- ⅓ cup diced carrots
- ⅓ cup diced celery
- For dressing:
- 1 ¼ cup mayonnaise*
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 Tbls. white wine vinegar
- ½ tsp. Dijon mustard
- ½ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. paprika
- ¼ tsp. garlic powder
- Combine the dressing ingredients.
- Combine the macaroni, eggs, carrots and celery.
- Pour dressing over the macaroni mixture and stir gently.
- Allow to sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes and stir again.
- Chill for an hour or so and serve.
2 comments
This Tastes Awesome !
I’m so happy you like it! Thanks for commenting!