Potato salad is a side dish beloved by my family. Growing up, my mother and grandmother used to make potato salad for Memorial Day picnics, and everyone always ate it until it was gone. In fact, my mother used to prepare all of the ingredients and leave them separate until almost the last minute because people in our family used to sneak into the fridge to taste test it!
Potato salad is a side dish that feels familiar and comforting. You enjoy it and all of the memories it conjures up as well. I can’t take a bite without thinking of holidays spent at a wooden picnic table in my grandmother’s yard or helping my mother make many many pounds of it to feed large family gatherings.
As the weather warms a bit, I have found myself wanting to make this recipe to have on hand to make meals easier. It’s great if you want to have a sandwich and a side or it goes well with a main dish. Meal prepping this potato salad gives me additional options when it comes time to feed everyone during the week.
Looking for additional fun recipes? Try my Easy Soft Pretzels or Pineapple Poblano Pepper Salsa!
Notes
Over the years, I have made a few small changes to this recipe. I use more potatoes and eggs and less onion. The potato salad should benefit from the flavor of the onion, but I don’t want to feel like I’m biting into onion constantly when I’m eating it. I do use yellow mustard, which is pretty standard, but I have been known to use whatever mustard I have on hand. So, if you do not normally purchase yellow mustard then please substitute what works for you. Additionally, I recommend using a mayonnaise your family enjoys the most. You can try using avocado instead of mayonnaise, but I haven’t had a chance to try a version with this substitution yet. Finally, I like extra vinegar! I sometimes like to use 2 to 3 tablespoons of vinegar, and I like to drizzle it on top of the potatoes before I mix in the mayonnaise so the vinegar soaks into the potatoes. If you do not enjoy vinegar, you will want to adjust accordingly.
Potato Salad
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes
Makes 8 to 10 servings
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Colander
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Large mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 6 to 8 large white potatoes
- 1 and 1/2 cups mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon paprika (divided)
- 2 large stalks celery, chopped
- 1/2 medium onion, chopped
- 6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
Directions
- Peel potatoes and place in a saucepan. Add water to about 1 inch above the potatoes until they are completely submerged. Cover and heat to boiling. Once the water is boiling, reduce to low heat. Cook covered for about 25 to 30 minutes until potatoes are tender and can be easily pierced with a fork.
- Drain the water from the saucepan and let the potatoes sit and cool.
- Cut the potatoes into small cubes.
- Add potatoes, celery, onion, egg, and mustard to a large bowl.
- Drizzle vinegar over the potatoes. Add salt, pepper, and 1/2 tablespoon of paprika.
- Mix in the mayonnaise until desired consistency has been reached.
- Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of paprika over top of the potato salad.
- Refrigerate for 24 hours before serving. Enjoy!
Adapted from a family recipe.
