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There are so many variations on potato salad that I love like a German Potato Salad served warm with cooked bacon and onion, or a French Potato salad with herbs and olives in vinaigrette. But this potato salad transports me to my childhood, sitting by my grandmother’s pool in Oklahoma City, sipping on a coke, with a sandwich (Wonder Bread I’m sure) and a side of this creamy-mustardy potato salad.
I never got my Grandmother’s exact recipe before she passed, I don’t even know if it was ever written down. I watched my mother make this many times and recreated the recipe by the memory of what the dish tasted like. The secret ingredient is chopped pickles and pickle juice. This is the classic All-American Potato Salad, straight out of the Heartland. When I think about our national food traditions, this dish is right up there with Apple Pie and 4th of July BBQs. It’s the perfect make-ahead side for summer parties, and picnics and is nice to have on hand in the fridge to serve for lunch.
At the restaurant, I would regularly make a dressed up version of this salad as a lunch side, using dijon and a whole-grain mustard that we made from scratch in-house. Feel free to play around with variations. Using your favorite mustard or adding fresh chopped herbs like parsley and tarragon. Of all the variations I’ve made, this one is still my favorite.
Tips and Tricks to Making Potato Salad From Scratch
These tips and tricks apply to all potato salads.
Types of Potatoes
I recommend using Yukon Gold Potatoes. They are the creamiest potato readily available in the U.S, and they hold their shape the best when cooked. You can substitute Russet Potatoes or Red Potatoes for the Yukon Golds. If using Russet potatoes, peel them first. These have a tendency to turn to mashed potatoes when you mix them with the rest of the ingredients- not my favorite. Red potatoes do not need to be peeled and they hold up better than Russet potatoes. They also add a little color.
Cook your Potatoes Whole
The cells inside the potatoes absorb water as they cook. Cutting the potatoes first exposes a lot of extra surface area and interior cells to boiling water. This will result in waterlogged potato pieces that have a tendency to disintegrate as you handle them. Cooking potatoes whole with their skin on (unless you are using Russets) solves this problem.
Don’t Undercook the Potatoes
I can’t tell you how many restaurant cooks I have taught this lesson to. Potatoes are not like pasta – el dente is not what we’re going for. Undercooked potatoes taste raw and starchy. It is better to overcook them than to undercook them (of course, perfectly cooked is the goal). The potatoes are done when you can easily poke a skewer or fork through them.
Drain the Potatoes Well
Don’t let the potatoes cool in the water, they will absorb water into the cells and become waterlogged. Drain them in a colander immediately and let them sit there as you prep the rest of the salad. The outside of the potatoes should be dry when you chop them and add them to the salad.
Dress the Potatoes While Still Warm
Air expands when hot and contracts when cool. If you add your potatoes into the dressing mix while hot/warm, the cooling (contracting) process will help pull the flavors of the dressing into the interior of the potatoes quicker and more thoroughly.
Let the Potato Salad Sit Awhile Before Serving
This is important. It takes a while for all the yummy flavors of your dressing to seep into the middle of those potato chunks. Allowing your potato salad to sit for 4-24 hours will result in a more evenly flavored dish. Keep in mind that as it sits and the salt becomes evenly distributed throughout all the ingredients it may taste less salty so it’s always a good idea to taste it again just before serving in case you need to up the salt a bit.
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Grandma’s Potato Salad
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 2 quarts 1x
- Category: Sides
- Method: Boil
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This is your classic All-American Potato Salad with a tangy mustardy dressing, dill pickles, and hard-boiled egg. Perfect for pot lucks, picnics and BBQs.
Ingredients
2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, boiled until tender
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced celery
1/4 diced dill pickles
2 Tablespoons dill pickle juice
1/3 cup yellow mustard
1/2 cup mayo
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 eggs, hard-boiled and diced
paprika and fresh dill (optional)
Instructions
Make the dressing
In a mixing bowl, large enough to hold all the ingredients, mix the pickle juice, mayo, mustard, salt, and pepper.
Mix the Salad
Add the diced onion, pickles, and celery to the bowl with the dressing. Stir to combine.
Add the diced potato and eggs. Stir gently to combine.
Top with paprika (or smoked paprika) and fresh dill if you like.
Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.
Enjoy!
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