Amish Macaroni Salad

I love macaroni salads, and this is truly a special one. It's got something for all of the tastebuds and textures. Soft, crunchy, chewy, sweet, savory, tart, creamy, and oh so fresh! Here's what you'll need to make 8-10 side servings:

Photo byKelly

Ingredients:

• 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
• 3 large hard boiled eggs, chopped
• 1 cup diced sweet onion
• 3 stalks celery, chopped with leafy tops
• 1 cup diced red bell pepper
• 3 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
• 2 cups mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar *
• 2 ¼ teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon celery seed

Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the elbow macaroni and cook for about 8 minutes, or until al dente. Drain the pasta and allow it to cool (do not rinse!).

In a large mixing bowl, combine the macaroni with the chopped eggs, diced onion, chopped celery with tops, and diced red bell pepper.

In a separate small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sweet pickle relish, mustard, sugar, vinegar, salt, black pepper, and celery seed. Pour the dressing over the salad mixture and toss until everything is well coated.

Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley if desired and enjoy!

* Notes:

If you are unfamiliar with traditional Amish macaroni salad, it's usually pretty sweet. You are welcome to decrease the sugar in this recipe to your tastes or dietary restrictions.