How to Make the Best Potato Salad

The summertime staple.  The picnic superstar.  The Sunday dinner companion.  Behold: POTATO SALAD. Admittedly, this recipe was a little tough to write out as I don't accurately measure the ingredients when I make my potato salad. But that's really the reality of a GOOD potato salad.  You have to kind of wing it and mix the ingredients until you get the right consistency and taste.  Especially since potato size varies so much with each batch. The key is to make a dressing before mixing in any of the other ingredients into the bowl with the potatoes.  That way you can control the "wetness" of the mixture. The last thing you want is a loose and runny potato salad.  

Here are a few of my cardinal rules for making GOOD potato salad:

1.  This is the only time you will EVER hear me say this... but...If it ain't white, it ain't right! LOL No bright yellow potato salad, PLEASE! If it's too yellow, that means that there has been way too much mustard added and that's just not ok.
2. A good potato salad should cling to the fork when it's turned upside down.  If it slides off, it's too runny, which means too much mayo was added.
3. Your veggies should be MINCED. I use a mini food processor to ensure this. There should be no huge chunks of crunchy veggies in potato salad. 
4. Sugar is NOT an optional ingredient. There has to be some sweetness added to balance the vinegar.
5. Hellman's mayonnaise is the BEST. 

Now keep in mind - every single person who makes potato salad makes it differently. So this is just my yummy recipe that we love and devour every single time. :) 

Whew! Now that we got that out the way, here's the recipe:

Ingredients

6 Medium Yellow Potatoes, Diced 

1/2 Yellow Onion, Minced

1/2 Green Bell Pepper, Minced

1 Stalk Celery, Minced

3 Eggs, Boiled and Grated

1 Cup Hellman's Mayonnaise

3 Tablespoons Sweet Relish, Drained

1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard

1 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar

1 Heaping Tablespoon Sugar

1 Teaspoon Seasoned Salt

1 Teaspoon Celery Seed

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Paprika for Garnish

{The simple line up of ingredients.}

{Peel your potatoes and cut them into uniform bite size pieces, about 1/2 inch in diameter. Add them to a pot of cold, salted water and boil until they are soft and tender. Simultaneously boil the eggs so that they are ready when the potatoes are.}

{When the potatoes are soft (but not too mushy!} remove from the pot and drain.  Put them on a foil lined cookie sheet in a single layer. Put the tray in the refrigerator until the potatoes are chilled.}

{Meanwhile, mince the onion, green bell pepper and celery.  I use my mini food processor!}

{Next, shred or chop the boiled eggs. I use a cheese grater. :)}

{To a large bowl, add the chilled potatoes, shredded egg and minced veggies.}

{In a separate bowl, make the dressing by adding the mayonnaise, relish, dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, sugar, seasoned salt, celery seed. Mix well to combine.}

{Gradually add the dressing to the potato, egg, veggie mixture until well combined and the texture is chunky and comes together nicely. Depending on the size of the potatoes, this may be too much mixture or not enough.  If you need more dressing, make more. If you don't need it all, that's fine! This is why we add the dressing gradually, so you can control the moisture. :)}

{Perfection!! Taste for salt and pepper, or anything else you think it needs! The texture is perfect, it's so flavorful - perfectly sweet and salty.  Absolutely delish, I hope you try this one ...it's a keeper.}

Add to a serving dish and sprinkle with paprika for garnish. This is exactly what your summer needs! :) Enjoy! 

xoxo, thanks for reading!