Potato Salad Secrets?

[mezzo soprano]

OK, ladies -- we're deep into cookout and picnic season. Anyone have any secrets or great potato salad recipes to share?

My ex m-i-l makes a potato salad that is out of this world... She just uses potatoes, hard boiled eggs, onion, some mustard, and lots of Miracle Whip salad dressing! Mix, mix, mix..... (She also mashes up the egg yolks and mixes with the mustard and Miracle whip first -- gives it a really creamy texture that way). Everyone raves about it and they ask why it's so good. She just blushes and says it's Miracle Whip! (But the secret is that she uses way more salad dressing than most people would dare to use. This is NOT a low-calorie potato salad!)

So, wow me with your potato salad secrets. And does anyone make one with a non-creamy dressing? My mom used to do one with Henri's Taystee dressing, but I don't think you can buy that salad dressing anymore.

[Kathy]

I use potatoes, sweet pickle relish, onions, a bit of mustard and miracle whip. I make it up a day ahead so that the flavors get all mixed in....

[Marian Paroo]

I'm very conservative in this kind of thing.

Potatoes, onions, whatever herb I'm in the mood to put in.

Dressing is Olive Oil and Lemon Juice (no worry about mayo in the sun), with plenty of salt and pepper.

[YellowRoseTex]

My mom always used Miracle Whip for her potatoe salad. I don't care for it when mayo is used. I follow mom's recipe which uses red salad potatoes, miracle whip, a bit of milk, garlic powder, a dab of wochestire (sp?) sauce, and scallions. The Miracle Whip is put in a separate bowl and whipped with the milk and garlic powder than poured over the sliced potatoes and scallions. Makes for a much creamier dressing. One can never skimp on the miracle whip! Mom's potatoe salad was never dry. :yum:

[GirlyGirl]

My Mom's potato salad was delicious. I kept trying to make it for our family gatherings and could never figure out why it didnt taste like hers. My SIL and I finally figured it out...Mom added some of the pickle relish juice to the mix! Now, it tastes just like Mom's. Hers was with mayonnaise, onions, pickle relish, and eggs. Yum Yum!

[Luvmabug]

Mmmm.....You gals are making me hungry!
My MIL makes the best potato salad I have ever tasted:
She uses Best Foods mayo, then she adds dill pickles and sweet pickle relish, onion, celery, olives, eggs and mustard. :) Oh, and salt.

[spasmo]

I know this isn't healthy but have y'all had german potato salad? Instead of miracle whip (or mayo) you fry some bacon, crumble it and set it aside and then put some vinegar into the hot bacon fat. It will sizzle and pour that over the potatoes, onions and eggs. I can feel my arteries slamming shut now, but it is sure good with a grilled brawt.

[gardengal]

I LOVE potato salad! I make mine with Hellman"s, onions, celery, and lots of eggs! I Whip the egg yolks with the mayo then add a bit of mustard and a generous amount of sweet pickle relish and some salt. Then I mix it all together, sprinkle some paprika on top and let it sit in the fridge over-night.

[TessiNY]

My mom's secret was Italian Salad dressing poured over the warm potatoes the night before. The next day, she mixed the potatoes with diced onion, green olives, chopped eggs and Hellmans. Salt and pepper to taste, sprinkled with paprika and dill on top. MMM,

[clogaholic]

I use potatoes, dill relish ( I'm odd, I know ), boiled eggs, onion, a little chopped celery, a little mustard and lots of mayo. I mix it all together & then use a patoto masher ( just a little ) to mix it all together a little better - put it in the frig for awhile to "meld ". My family loves it - seldom have leftovers :)

[Charger]

Here's my favorite. It gets raves whenever we have it:

1-2-3 Potato Salad

1. 2 lbs. red or new potatoes cut into 3/4 inch chunks (skin on)

2. 1 Knorr Chicken or Vegetable Bouillon Cube

3. 1 cup Hellmann's Real Mayonnaise

In 4 quart saucepot, cover potatoes and bouillon cube with water. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat and cook uncovered 10 min. or until potatoes are tender. Drain; DO NOT RINSE. Let cool slightly.

In large bowl, combine cooled potatoes with mayonnaise. Chill, if desired, before serving. Garnish with parsley and black pepper.

Makes 6 servings; Prep time 15 min.; Cook time 10 min.

You can add your other favorite potato salad ingredients such as onion, celery, hard cooked eggs, relish or mustard, but I have always just done the 1-2-3 and its yummy, easy and quick!!

[GirlyGirl]

Oh My! I have this overwhelming craving for potato salad!...not the best thing for Weight Watchers...I don't think I have enough points in the whole week for a bowl of potato salad. :)

[bay]

eggs for sure make my potato salad yummy! I also love green olives in it but no one else does so I just throw them on my portion!

[Momma Rosie]

Hi,
I have made my potato salad with mayo, and also with Miracle Whip (not combined). :rolleyes: I like it both ways. I put radishes, onion, hard boiled eggs, green pepper,celery, and mustard in mine. One of my daughters puts bacon bits in hers after it's made. Try it!

[Marian Paroo]

I got so crave-y for p.s. with this post, I made some yesterday for lunch, and through in a handful of very thin string beans (blanched), cooked and cooled artichoke bottoms (the frozen kind), capers (I can eat a whole bottle of those).

[Fldtrlady]

Funny, I should read this just now. I made potato salad this morning for tonight's dinner. We are grilling a brisket now. My potato salad is put together...potatoes, hard boiled eggs, celery, sweet pickle relish, with some juice, then kraft mayo and a little yellow mustard. I was just talking to my husband when I finished this morning to say that mine is not just like my mothers or my MIL, I have taken what I like best of both and made mine just mine. BUT, I really like mine the best.

[Lovebeing50+]

Hi,

I use mayo (either brand name), mustard, eggs, diced very small - celery, green pepper and onions, sugar, salt, relish, and some cayenne pepper on top for an extra kick!

[CharChar]

I use nothing But Hellmans (same as Best Foods), but start with a couple of tablesppons of cider vinegar, add about the same amount of sugar and whisk until the vinegar dissolves the sugar. Then I add my Hellmans and whisk it until it is creamy. It gives it a little bit of zing, but not as overpowering as Miracle WHip. I use Yukon Gold taters when I can get them, chopped yellow onions, celery seed, and lots of hb eggs, and chopped homemade lime pickles..Sprinkle with paprika and enjoy!!

[bay]

chopped homemade lime pickles..!!
What are lime pickles?

[CharChar]

Forgot, I add just a little mustard, not much

[CharChar]

They are hard to describe, THey are really crisp and sweet. You saok sliced cukes in a big crock with water and pickling lime for 24 hrs, drain and rinse and rinse and rinse and rinse!! Th epickling lime turns the peels really green and the flesh white, and makes them real brittle, so you can't slice too thin or too thick, Then you soak them in clear water overnight and drain and rinse again, then you make the brine with vinegar, pickling salt, sugar and McCormacks pickling spice, mustard and celery seed and whole cloves. This sits in the brine overnight, then you cook the pickles in the brine until they are clear, pack into hot jars and they seal on their own. It is an old recipe, and a lotof work, but is definetly worth it. You can't buy pickles that taste like these. They stay crisp after they are cooked and canned.

[bay]

Oh Boy lyzzy, I love good pickles and they sound great! Any way you could post the exact recipe or email it to me? Thnx
(I can pm my email to you)

[CharChar]

THey are fantastic pickles, but a lot of work. You have to have at LEAST a 10 gallon crock. I mean like the antique crocks you see in the antique stores. I will get the recipe written down and get it to you tomorrow. I always look forward to this time of year because it is Pickle Time!! I took a jar to th e county fair last year and got 2nd place red ribbon with them. Got beat out by Sweet Pickle Spears!!!

[bay]

Thnx Lyzzy,
I'm facing a couple of major surgeries in the near future so won;t be tackling the pickle project this year but it'll give me somehting to look forward to next summer!
I PM'd my email address to you--thanks again

[suzizack]

I like to make 2 versions. one is with the mustard,mayo or miracle whip, dill pickle relish with a bit of the juice, salt and pepper, garlic powder, onion powder. Not fond of chopped onions or celery in my p.s... and Hate boiled eggg whites.

2nd version is ,red potatoes, use sour cream instead of mayo, no mustard, chives chopped, chopped black or green olives, garlic and onion pwd, salt , and lemon pepper. I dont over do the sour cream, just enough to make the mixture creamy , smooth.

[charliemae]

I'm not a fan of eggs at all, so I like the way most of my sisters make potato salad. They use potatoes, Miracle Whip, onion, chopped celery, and cut up green peppers. It is soooo good! I like the idea of radishes, though, and it would be nice to add some of those. My sisters will usually make one with eggs and one without. They are very thoughtful (or they just don't want to hear my mouth)

[mezzo soprano]

OK -- thanks for all of the suggestions. I'm also a huge pickle fan! I make a great refrigerator pickle that is soooo easy.

Now I'm hungry. I'm off to make (what else?) some potato salad.