The Best Old-Fashioned Potato Salad

Every family has its own traditional potato salad recipe, but I have to say that this one is the best! Tender pieces of potato, tiny bits of celery, and a smattering of hard boiled eggs are coated in a creamy, mayonnaise-based dressing. A hint of mustard tantalizes your taste buds, making this classic recipe the very best around!

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What Is Old-Fashioned Potato Salad?

Potato salad is one of the most recognizable dishes at any American gathering. But the familiar, mayonnaise-based recipe that is a part of virtually every picnic and potluck across the country is actually a relatively new dish.

It wasn’t until the 1920s that Richard Hellmann created the first ready-made mayonnaise, which he sold by the jar in his Manhattan deli. It is thought that the first mayonnaise-based potato salad also first emerged from this deli as a means of promoting the new Hellmann’s mayonnaise. Hellmann’s wife is created for originating the side dish that has become an American tradition.

This particular potato salad recipe has been handed down orally in my family for three generations. It has many of the same ingredients as most potato salads, such as celery and onion. It also includes hard boiled eggs, mustard, and a dash of white vinegar for extra tang.

Do You Have Any Tips or Tricks for Making the Best Potato Salad?

• Choose firm potatoes. Yellow and red potatoes have a waxy texture. This helps them hold their shape and texture, even after cutting, boiling, and combining with dressing. While russet potatoes can be used, they have a tendency to crumble after cooking.
• Don’t salt the water when you are boiling the potatoes. Potatoes have an amazing ability to soak up salt. If you’ve ever oversalted a soup or sauce, toss in a potato and it’ll lower the salty taste. But as anyone who has complained of swollen ankles after eating a salty meal knows, sodium attracts water. If you salt the water when boiling your potatoes, they will retain too much moisture and your potato salad will lose flavor.
• Let the potatoes cool before dressing them. Since the dressing in this recipe is mayonnaise-based, it is important to allow the potatoes to cool completely before mixing them with the creamy sauce. Heat degrades mayonnaise, causing it be become oily and unpalatable.

How Long Will My Potato Salad Last?

Many people shy away from transporting potato salad to potlucks because of a longstanding myth about mayonnaise. Most of us have been taught that mayonnaise can cause food poisoning if it’s not kept very cold.

But according to the USDA, the acidic ingredients in the mayonnaise help to prevent bacteria growth that causes food poisoning. While care should be taken to properly handle and store any food, potato salad can be left our for about two hours before harmful bacteria sets in.

Before and after serving, creamy potato salad should be kept in a sealed container in the refrigerator. It will last up to five days there.

My recommendation is to not freeze potato salad, as it changes the texture of the potatoes. Freezing also degrades the mayonnaise, which further changes the palatability of the dish.

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Directions

• Peel potatoes (if desired) and cut into bite-sized pieces. Place cut potatoes in a large pot of cold water. Boil until potatoes are just tender, about 10 – 15 minutes.
• Drain potatoes in colander. While they are still warm, sprinkle cooked potatoes with 2 – 3 tablespoons white vinegar. This gives them a zippy tang that makes all the difference! Allow potatoes to cool.
• Pour the cooled potatoes into a large bowl. Combine them with the diced celery, onion, and hard boiled eggs.
• Make the dressing. In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise, mustard, salt, and pepper.
• Gently fold dressing into potato mixture. Toss to combine.
• Garnish with sliced green onions, if desired. Serve chilled.

Check Out These Other Potato Recipes

• Get ready for Oktoberfest with Gram’s German Potato Salad
• Dill Potato Salad is light and creamy, with a delicate flavor
• For a hot potato side, give Cheesy Potatoes with Corn Flake Topping a try

The Best Old-Fashioned Potato Salad

Recipe by Chicken Soup with DumplingsCourse: Salads, Sides, VegetablesDifficulty: Easy

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

15

minutes

Total time

45

minutes

Tender pieces of potato, tiny bits of celery, and a smattering of hard boiled eggs are coated in a creamy, mayonnaise-based dressing.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs potatoes

• 2 -3 tablespoons white vinegar

• 4 hard boiled eggs, chopped

• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion

• 1 rib celery, finely chopped (about 3/4 cup)

• 1 cup mayonnaise

• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

• Sliced green onions for garnish (optional)

Directions

• Peel potatoes (if desired) and cut into bite-sized pieces. Place cut potatoes in a large pot of cold water. Boil until potatoes are just tender, about 10 – 15 minutes.
• Drain potatoes in colander. While they are still warm, sprinkle cooked potatoes with 2 – 3 tablespoons white vinegar. This gives them a zippy tang that makes all the difference! Allow potatoes to cool.
• Pour the cooled potatoes into a large bowl. Combine them with the diced celery, onion, and hard boiled eggs.
• Make the dressing. In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise, mustard, salt, and pepper.
• Gently fold dressing into potato mixture. Toss to combine.
• Garnish with sliced green onions, if desired. Serve chilled.

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