Everybody Ate Macaroni Salad This Way In The '70s And We Understand Why

When it comes to the most beloved recipes from the 1970s people still make today, macaroni salad is a hard one to replicate without the right ingredients. While you might assume your family's age-old recipe for this classic side dish consisted of cooked noodles, raw veggies, and a creamy sauce primarily composed of mayonnaise, recipes for macaroni salad in the '70s often called for a sweet, creamy mayo alternative: Miracle Whip.

Compared to the most popular brands of mayonnaise, Miracle Whip, which is classified as a dressing rather than a type of mayo, has a tangier taste and mildly sweet bite because it contains less oil, more water, and additives such as high fructose corn syrup and dried garlic. The reason Miracle Whip tended to be the condiment-of-choice for macaroni salad in the '70s had everything to do with convenience. Developed during the Great Depression, Miracle Whip has always been advertised as a convenient, all-in-one substitute for mayo-based dressings. Especially in the 1970s, when convenience foods became more and more popular, home cooks found that Miracle Whip was all they needed to make a tasty, well-seasoned macaroni salad.

Since macaroni salad recipes from the '70s were all about simplicity, making your own version requires only a modest amount of ingredients. Once you combine cooked macaroni noodles with a succinct blend of raw chopped veggies, such as onion, green pepper, and celery, all you need to do is mix up your dressing and pour it on. The best part? The dressing is composed of just Miracle Whip, a small amount of mustard, a few basic seasonings, such as salt and pepper, plus optional extras, such as paprika and more garlic powder.

Since Miracle Whip is thinner than mayonnaise, it has just the right consistency to make creamy macaroni salad. For the best overall taste and texture, whisk your dressing ingredients first, pour them over your macaroni salad, then let the combined mixture rest in your refrigerator for a few hours before serving. This lets the noodles soak up some of the dressing while resting in the fridge. You can also add a bit more Miracle Whip right before serving to ensure maximum creaminess.

While this classic '70s-style side is tasty on its own and easy to put together, for macaroni salad packed with extra flavor, you can also reach for an additional powerhouse ingredient, such as Old Bay seasoning. Additionally, feel free to round out this classic recipe by incorporating some extra mix-ins, such as chopped pickles or hard-boiled eggs.