Macaroni Salad (Miracle Whip Based)
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Made with Miracle Whip, this Macaroni Salad is a summertime classic. This recipe, which was inspired by the salad my dad makes, has become one of my go-to sides for grilling and entertaining.
This post has been sponsored by HEINZ and Miracle Whip. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Yes, my friends, I’m back with another pasta/macaroni salad recipe. This type of salad is a favorite of mine, and I realize that most folks have their own way to make one. While I’ve shared a mayonnaise-based macaroni salad recipe with you in the past, this recipe for one made with Miracle Whip is long overdue.
Macaroni Salad with Miracle Whip:
This recipe is inspired by my dad’s. His macaroni salad is a popular dish at his annual Independence Day party, so I think you’re going to enjoy this salad. What I love about the Miracle Whip is the zip and tang taste it gives the macaroni salad.
To get all of the ingredients for this recipe, I headed to my local Giant Eagle. While I was there, I also picked up other grilling and entertaining essentials: hamburger, buns, cute gingham plates, and HEINZ Ketchup.
With everything purchased, I was ready to whip up a delicious and easy meal to celebrate the start of summer.
How to Make Miracle Whip Macaroni Salad:
Now, as much as I love my dad’s macaroni salad, his version is a bit basic for my tastes. To kick his recipe up a couple of notches, I add red peppers, celery, dill relish, and a few seasonings.
Another change I made was with the pasta. I decided to ditch the macaroni and use this fun Ditalini pasta. I thought it would make the dish feel special. Plus, I like how those little rings hold on to lots of dressing.
After cooking and draining the Ditalini, I added hard-boiled eggs, celery, red pepper, and onion. For the dressing, I whisked together the Miracle Whip, yellow mustard, apple cider vinegar, sugar, dill pickle relish, garlic salt, celery seed, and salt and pepper to taste.
Once the dressing was prepared, I added it to the pasta mixture and stirred it to combine everything. I recommend allowing the macaroni salad to sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving. This allows the salad to cool and the flavors to meld.
And what’s a perfect complement to macaroni salad? Hamburgers! So, I pulled out the grill and grilled up a few burgers to create a full meal of deliciousness. Top your burger the way you like it, but don’t forget a squirt of HEINZ Ketchup. It doesn’t get any better than that! I don’t know how it is in your neck of the woods but in this area, HEINZ Ketchup is a must on the table. One of the reasons why is that HEINZ Ketchup is made right here in Pittsburgh. It’s been a favorite of my family for years.
With the table set, burgers grilled, and macaroni salad cooled, I was ready to announce, “Dinner is served.” Before anyone digs in, may I also tell you how much I like the look of red gingham for summer entertaining? These paper plates and napkins are so cute!
Want more pasta and macaroni salad recipes? Try these:
- Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Salad
- BLT Pasta Salad
- Ramen Noodle Pasta Salad
- California Cobb Pasta Salad
- Pasta Salad with Roasted Mushrooms
I think you are going to love this Miracle Whip-based Macaroni Salad. And remember, it’s Grilling Season at Giant Eagle so be sure to shop Giant Eagle for all your summer grilling essentials.
Enjoy!
Macaroni Salad (Miracle Whip Based)
Ingredients
Pasta Salad:
- 1 pound Ditalini pasta cooked al dente
- 3 hard-boiled eggs peeled and chopped
- 1/2 onion chopped
- 3 stalks celery chopped
- 1 red bell pepper seeded and chopped
Dressing:
- 2 cups Miracle Whip
- 2 tablespoons dill pickle relish
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 teaspoon celery seed
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the cooked Ditalini pasta, eggs, onion, celery, and red bell pepper.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the Miracle Whip, dill pickle relish, yellow mustard, sugar, apple cider vinegar, garlic salt, and celery seed. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the dressing to the pasta mixture and stir until well combined. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour before serving.
This is just like the Amish macaroni salad
I followed the recipe EXACTLY!
I WON’T use this recipe again.
I questiond the amount of sugar the recipe called for, and assumed it was tried and true. You should seriously cut back on the sugar or omit it completely in this recipe. I ended up wasting everything….ingredients, effort and time.
Thanks for the feedback Jane. This is how my family and I enjoy this recipe. I understand it may not be your taste. That’s the fun thing about recipes, everyone has their own tastes and ways of making things. In the future if you notice something in a recipe you may not prefer, I recommend leaving it out or only adding it little by little. This way you can avoid “wasting everything”. Unfortunately I can’t write a recipe to accommodate for everyone’s preferences. Thanks again!
xo Michael
Thanks Michael,
I totally get it….wondering if the dill relish and adding that much sugar is a southern thing 😉sugar
Everyone loved this macaroni salad. I made it with elbows. It’s now my favorite!!!
I’ve made this several times and it’s by far the best macaroni salad I’ve ever had!!! My family also loves it!
Thank you so much!!
xo Michael
Everybody knows you use sweet pickle relish in mac salad, not dill.
That’s the best part about recipes – you can make them whichever way you prefer. AND you don’t have to tell someone their way is “wrong”. It’s a wonderful thing!
xo Michael
TOO SWEET/WILL OMIT SUGAR NEXT TIME.
This is the best macaroni I have had using Miracle Whip. A pure delight !
Thank you for always including the perfect cooking ideas.
Awsome! I am looking for that .
Can’t wait to try this recipe, but I’d love to have your Dad’s original recipe too!!
Best macaroni salad I ever made would give it 5 stars my husband said that macaroni salad was good.
I love getting a jump start on meal prep whenever I can, but if I make this dish too far in advance, I end up with a bowl of soggy pasta salad. Thanks for this healthy update.
Hi, living in Cyprus🇨🇾I have no idea what (Miracle whip) is.. what can I substitute it with.. I’m thinking 1/2 mayonnaise 1/2 sour-cream… ? Thanks
I’m not sure you can really replace it. But if you’re looking for a mayo-based Macaroni Salad, you can find my recipe here: https://inspiredbycharm.com/really-good-macaroni-salad/
xo Michael
Off brand “salad dressing” instead of miracle whip. It is actually a better ingredient to begin with. My family has made this salad this way for decades but we never use miracle whip….just salad dressing. Any off brand will do. CHEERS!
My Mac salad got watery over night why?
Hmmm. I’m not sure. Maybe the noodles weren’t drained enough or cooked too long?
xo Michael
This happens when the onions and celery are too juicy. I place my cut up veggies on paper towels for a bit to absorb excess moisture.
How many people
should i expect this to serve? Thanks!
I’d say around 10-12 people.
xo Michael
Hey Michael, just confirming it’s 1/2 cup of Miracle Whip for the dressing? Doesn’t seem like enough. I want to try this recipe for my 4th celebration.
Thank you so much for asking, Lori. You are 100% correct! It should be 2 cups. I’m not sure what happened. The recipe has been corrected.
xo Michael
Looks yummy, Michael and served up so attractively. Thanks for the inspiration. Happy summer to you!
You’re very welcome! Happy Summer!
xo Michael
I had to try this recipe ASAP and it did not disappoint. Thank you so much for sharing!
Your pasta salad looks delicious and I can’t wait to try the recipe. Thank you for always sharing the best decorating, gardening and food ideas.
Awesome to see MACARONI SALAD recipe. You just made my day. Thanks for this healthy post.
You’re so welcome! Enjoy!
xo Michael