Macaroni salad recipes are a dime a dozen, but most recipes, it seems, make a mushy, watery, bland salad. So looking for a recipe that really makes a salad sing is a challenge. I loved the original Amish Cook's recipe for macaroni salad, a sweet salad with a hint of crunch to it. But this famous Amish macaroni salad recipe (pictured) that I stumbled on in St. Ignatius, Montana may be one of the best I've had, and the recipe's reputation is legendary among the Amish, hence the name "fame."
Famous Amish Macaroni salad is a classic macaroni salad very Instagram worthy! As pasta salads go, this is one of my favorite!

You do want any salad to look visualizing appealing as well as be tasty and the addition of tomatoes adds a bright pop of color, along with the parsley. So not only does this salad taste great, it looks festive. The recipe does call for Miracle Whip. You can use store-bought, but in the coming weeks Amish Cook, Gloria Yoder, will be sharing her recipe for homemade Miracle Whip. Yum!
Anyway, pictured here is the elbow macaroni salad that I tasted at an Amish potluck. Plan on taking this to your next picnic, you won't be taking any home with you, it'll all get eaten!
Of course, tomatoes find their way into this salad. Basically, anything during the summer on an Amish farm will feature tomatoes. A cup of chopped tomatoes should do it, if you want to throw in more, go for it.
The six hard-boiled eggs in this recipe really add nice flavor and texture to the mac salad. And you really can taste a difference between farm fresh and factory-raised eggs. Most Amish have home-sourced eggs, so if you can get your hands on some too, this recipe will turn out better.
And if you think of anything else you want to add, perhaps diced green or red bell peppers for color and crunch, you can do that also. I'd not mess with the dressing part of the recipe much, it is perfect the way it is! Some people want to toss in some diced ham and stir, you can do that, it's not my preference, but if you want to make it a meal with meat, that's fine.
For the best results you really should try to make this salad the night before, it allows the flavors to really meld and permeate the pasta. Put some in a small bowl to sample before serving to everyone just to make sure the flavors are perfect.
But there are many different versions of mac salad out there. Among the Amish, mac salads are popular the same time they are for most of us: summer picnic season, which includes Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day gatherings. Nothing like a delicious mac salad to balance out a picnic plate. This particular mac salad was served to me at an Amish potluck in October, so it's a salad for all seasons. The chill of a fresh mac salad out of the fridge is amazing.
The Famous Amish Macaroni Salad does not call for any salt, so if you like some you might want to add. This is one of my favorite side dishes. Also, the recipe calls for Miracle Whip or a comparable creamy salad dressing, but I'd probably just use mayonnaise. Personal preference. You could also add a tablespoon dill pickle relish. A splash of bbq sauce might also be good. Don't worry about calories, cholesterol, or sodium, just enjoy!
If you have any leftovers, store in an airtight container and stick in the refrigerator.
Here is the recipe, plus some other of our favorite Amish mac salad recipes.
🥗 Famous Amish Macaroni Salad
- SALAD
- 1 lb macaroni
- 1 cup chopped tomato
- ½ cup chopped celery
- ½ cup grated carrots
- ¼ cup chopped red onions
- 6 hard-boiled eggs (reserve 1 to slice for garnish, and chop the remaining 5)
- paprika, for garnish
- DRESSING
- 2 cups Miracle Whip
- ¼ cup vinegar
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoons celery seed
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
📋 Instructions
- Cook macaroni as directed on package; drain& cool.
- In a bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients so they are well-combined and smooth.
- In a large bowl, gently combine the macaroni, celery, carrots, onions, tomato, and 5 chopped eggs.
- Fold the dressing gently into the macaroni salad mixture.
- Place into your serving bowl and garnish with the reserved sliced egg and sprinkle with paprika.
🥗 More Amish Macaroni Salad Recipes
End-of-Summer Macaroni Salad: Delicious!
Homemade Amish Macaroni Salad: This is the oldest Amish mac salad on the website, I posted it back in 2012.
Tennessee Amish Macaroni Salad: So good! Click here.
🖨️ Full Recipe
Famous Amish Macaroni Salad
Ingredients
salad
- 1 cup chopped tomato
- 1 pound macaroni
- ½ cup chopped celery
- ½ cup grated carrots
- ¼ cup chopped red onions6
- 6 hard-boiled eggs (reserve 1 to slice for garnish, and chop the remaining
- paprika, for garnish
Dressing
- 2 cups Miracle Whip
- ¼ cup vinegar
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons prepared mustard
- 1 tablespoon celery seed
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
Instructions
- Cook macaroni as directed on package; drain& cool.
- In a bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients so they are well-combined and smooth
- .In a large bowl, gently combine the macaroni, celery, carrots, onions, tomato, and 5 chopped eggs.
- Fold the dressing gently into the macaroni salad mixture
- .Place into your serving bowl and garnish with the reserved sliced egg and sprinkle with paprika
Fred Jensen
Put me on your list for future post
Kay
I was asked to bring a large macaroni salad to a family gathering. This is not something I normally make, due to it seeming a bland and pointless salad, but decided to rise to the challenge. I searched the internet for something more interesting. I landed on your recipe, and decided to try the Amish salad. Well, it is wonderful. I put in fewer eggs - was afraid to try the full 5. I also add some small chopped red and yellow peppers. Left the parsley out due to my boyfriend not liking it. Will add some bits of grape tomatoes just before serving - testing it with the tomatoes, they really make it pop. I also appreciate that the onion flavor is really subtle. I will look forward to taking it today, to see if others enjoy it as much as I do. I will also say I am normally not a fan of Miracle Whip. I'd only tried it at a friend's house for sandwiches, and didn't care for it that way. However, it is light and perfect for this salad. I'd say mayonnaise would be too heavy. Thank you! I'll have to peruse your site for more recipes.
Kevin
Thank you so much for sharing your recipe modifications, Kay! I hope you explore and enjoy Amish365, thanks for stopping by!