None of them :)

Mine always gets rave reviews....I can't stand miracle whip or any "salad dressing with sugar in it," and usually Duke's mayo or make my own. (though trader joes organic tastes ok---there's no sugar in it. Hellman's will do in a pinch)

A chef friend told me to always include an idaho baker in the mix of potatoes...for texture reasons. I do it if I have one around, but I don't make a special trip to find one.

I use a rubber spatula to do the mixing---a spoon can break it down, so be careful if you use one)

Ingredients:
2 lb potatoes (russet or red bliss are my first choice, followed by yukon gold. With that baker tossed in if I've got it. A smallish one)

2 T white vinegar
1/2 c chopped celery
3T minced red onion (use scallions if you must substitute)
4T (+ or-, depending on your taste) DILL pickle relish
1/2C (+ or -) Mayonaise (the real stuff, no sugary dressing)(I usually use less, probably a third of a cup, or whatever is needed to bind it all together)
1 t powdered mustard
1 t celery seed (not celery salt!)
3T fresh parsley, minced
black pepper to taste
2 hard boiled eggs, chopped (optional)

I don't peel the potatoes, but you can ...chop them into bite sized cubes (3/4 inch at largest). Put the potatoes into a heavy saucepan, cover with water, bring to a boil over medium heat, add 1 T salt, reduce the heat to medium, cover and simmer until the potatoes are tender. (8-10 minutes, usually)

Drain the potatoes, and put them into a large bowl. (You may want to set aside the water to use in a broth)

Add the vinegar, and toss gently. Let the potatoes sit and cool down for about 15-20 minutes. Don't move on to the next step until the potatoes are warm to the touch, not hot. But don't wait until they are cold.

While the potatoes are cooling, mix the celery, onion, pickle relish, mayonnaise, mustard powder, celery seed, parsley, pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt together in a bowl.

Once the potatoes have cooled, fold in the dressing (and eggs, if you want to add them) into the potatoes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour. Season to taste (i always put in a little more celery seed and salt)

Thanks for the recipe joanek.

I like the idea of all that celery and celery seed.

Can't wait to try it this ski season. :)

First off, I don't think I've ever met an American who does not like potato salad. It's right up there with french fries on the likeability scale.


This is the simple standard picnic style salad I've been eating for 50 years. When we take a bowl of this to a potluck, it is ALWAYS the first one gone even if there are 4 or more others there.

4 medium russet potatoes
4 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1 large dill pickle, finely chopped
6 green onions(scallions), chopped
3/4 cup sliced black olives
3/4 cup celery, finely chopped (optional)
1/2 cup Best Foods/Hellmans Mayonnaise
2-3 tablespoons regular yellow prepared mustard.
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
Do NOT add any sugar or anything with sugar in it!

Boil the taters with the skins on. When done, cover with icewater till cool. Scrape the skin off and dice into 1/2 inch cubes.

Mix the mayo, mustard, salt and pepper together in a cup.

Gently mix everything together in a large bowl, then transfer to serving bowl.

Braslvr, I have a feeling our recipes are related. The line "Do NOT add any sugar or anything with sugar in it!" is the giveaway.
(Mine might be a little older, as the mustard powder was probably swapped for prepared mustard during the step-saving 60s and 70s. )

I'd be curious to see what you think of the finished product if you put the salad together when the potatoes are still warm. I find they absorb more that way, though it could just be old school thinking.

And notsosmart, the secret ingredient in mine is the celery seed. It's a flavor that you don't realize is missing from a lot of prepared ones until you taste a salad with it. The same chef who suggested adding a baker for texture also said you can sometimes get away with storebought potato salad if you mix in some celery seed and vinegar (to cut the sweetness of some prepared ones) and/or toss in some dill pickles.

Dill can also be a fine addition.

I used to do it that way, as did my mom. I just like for most of the potatoes to be nice cubes, and I find they are much easier to cut into cubes when cold. After a few hours of the salad chilling in the fridge, I don't notice any difference taste wise.

Ever accidentally overcook the taters and make mashed potato salad? Some people actually like it that way. I'm a cube guy. :)

I'm another one of those who never measures.

But any potato salad that comes out of my kitchen will have

Yukon Gold Potatos
eggs
Best Foods/Hellemans
Claussen Dill Pickles
walla walla (or maui) onions
celery
dried dill
salt and pepper
paprika

Claussen and Best Foods are mandatory. Everything else depends on availability. I wouldn't be opposed to olives, grated carrots, or capers if they were available

Mine is pretty close to what Braslvr posted...only I don't use olives (I will give it a shot, it sounds great) and I use my favorite Guldens Spicy Brown mustard.

And I don't add salt, as my secret weapon is to add a vegetable bouillon cube or two to the potatos as they cook.

As a side note, Golden Corral used to have a "Cajun" potato salad and I could never figure out what they added...anyone know?

I just made a phenomenal potato salad very simply:

potatoes boiled in skins
peel and cube while hot
sprinkle with rice wine vinegar (seasoned Sushi vinegar) while hot
lots of fresh dill


After cooling, shake together

olive oil
more rice wine vinegar
dry mustard

It was phenomenally good...I didn't miss the creamy dressing at all.

Probably SYSCO Cajun seasoning mix...;)

Try cutting before you cook the potatoes. They cook faster that way. (of course if you've been making the salad for decades, you can probably do it in your sleep----and a change like that would throw everything out of sync!)

I've tried cooking the potatoes in cubes, and that is the ultimate disaster. the reason is, it washes all the starch out of the them that way. The cubes need to be kinda 'sticky' when you cut them up after being cooked. That's why I've gone to boiling them with the skins on. Even more starch stays in. I know, I'm a tater salad nerd.

Hellmans Bestfoods mayonaise is the secret and mashing the eggs with a potatoe masher will make the kids eat it without picking out the eggs.

Years ago I was served a Cuban potato salad, with red potatoes, onion, celery, sliced green olives (with pimiento!), olive oil and lots of lemon juice and grated lemon zest. Supposedly this was developed as a mayo-less alternative to compensate for eating in a hotter climate. It was served chilled on a hot summer day, and was utterly delicious. Am I on the mark regarding the makeup of a Cuban potato salad? if not, please let me know of a recipe.

I like all different kinds of patato salad but usually make the German variety. I also don't measure when I cook, through things together, then taste and adjust the seasoning. (It's called abschmecken in German.)

I always use yellow potatoes such as yukon golds. They have to be cooked with the skins, then peeled, the sliced--in that order; Germans have many cooking rules! :D

I make my dressing by frying bacon. American is ok or you can buy Pancetta or whatever international equivalent is available. Then I add some chopped onions to the bacon.

I then mix vinegar (often a variety depending what I have on hand, usually red wine or white wine, mostly German Henstenberg Altmeister or the herbal one, never balsamic with frsh ground pepper, some Maggi seasoning and a German salad spice mix (they come in different versions from Knorr or Maggi).


I add this mixture to the frying pan to deglaze it, then I add some oil (not olive). That's my dressing for the potatoes. Pour it over while warm. Add fresh parsley. Serve at room temperature. The bacon grease tends to solidify otherwise. Alternatively drain the bacon and onions before deglazing with dressing.

That's my own made up recipe.