Amish Macaroni Salad

Amish Macaroni Salad: Submitted by: Vickie | Date Added: 14 Mar 2021 Ingredients:

1 pound elbow macaroni, cooked al dente, according to package directions
2 1/2 cups mayonnaise
2 TBSP granulated sugar
1/2 cup liquid brine from the jar of bread and butter style pickles
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. celery salt
kosher salt, to taste
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
2 TBSP yellow mustard
1 cup chopped bread and butter pickles
3 ribs of celery, thinly sliced (about a cup)
1 cup diced onion
1 large raw carrot, peeled and grated
2 - 3 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1/2 cup finely diced red bell pepper (optional)

Cooking Instructions:

1. Rinse cooked macaroni with cold water to cool. Drain.
2. In large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sugar, pickle brine, apple cider vinegar, celery salt, and yellow mustard until combined. Taste for salt and pepper, and season as desired. The dressing should be thin and pourable. You can adjust the thickness with a TBSP or so more of cider vinegar, if needed. it may seem like a lot of dressing, but the pasta does absorb some of it and you don't want dry macaroni salad.
3. Stir cooked macaroni, chopped pickles, celery, onion, carrot, hard boiled eggs, and red bell pepper (if using) into dressing.
Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours, to let flavors blend. Stir before serving.

(Cook’s Note: This recipe provides enough for it to be absorbed into the pasta and still be a loose salad. Feel free to adjust the amounts of mayo, pickle juice, and vinegar to your liking. Pickle juice is not a typical ingredient in macaroni salad, and I have no idea if traditional Amish use it, but I love adding it! It adds so much flavor and helps to loosen up the dressing quite well.)