How To Make Southern Potato Salad
Southern potato salad is pretty similar to classic American potato salad, with the addition of chopped sweet pickles or pickle relish, giving it a sweet-tart flavor and a bright yellow color. Simply follow the instructions for making classic American potato salad, then add relish or chopped sweet pickle relish to taste.
What Our Readers Are Saying
If you dont believe that our recipe helps you achieve the best homemade potato salad, take a look at what our readers are saying about the recipe! More reviews are in the comments section below.
Ive made this so many times!! Always so yummy and a big hit with even the pickiest eaters!! Pam
Best potato salad ever!! Melinda
Excellent. Tastes delicious! Its so much better than the potato salad purchased at the store. LouAnn
I LOVED this potato salad! Paula
Save Money By Meal Planning Each Week
Instead of making several trips to the grocery store to get the ingredients that you need to make a specific recipe, plan your grocery list for an entire week.
Every Saturday I write out a list of meals that I plan to make for the upcoming week. Then I look in the refrigerator and pantry to see what ingredients that I have in stock to make those recipes.
For instance, when making potato salad for two, I know that I will need a couple of potatoes. And later in the week when I plan to make Garlic Butter Smashed Potatoes, I will need a few more. Therefore, as I plan my weekly menu, I will check my supply of ingredients to see what I already have on hand.
Write A Grocery List
Then as I am doing the search through the kitchen, I write down what items that I will need to purchase at the grocery. Once the list is complete, the weekly grocery shopping can begin.
Using this method of meal planning for the week, I am making one trip to the grocery. Besides saving gas money getting to and from the store, it also prevents me from picking up those extra items not on the list that happen to catch my eye.
Not only does it help me save money by not purchasing more expensive, pre-made items, it also decreases the amount of food waste at the end of the week. Having a plan and sticking to the menu is easy to do when you make it a weekly habit.
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How To Prep Potatoes For Potato Salad
Consider prepping your potatoes the day before. To save time, cut your potatoes up to one day in advance and place the cut potatoes in a large bowl with enough cold water to cover. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill until youre ready to cook.
When cutting your potatoes, make sure they are uniform sizes. It doesnt matter if you start with tiny baby potatoes or medium-size Yukon golds, just be sure to cut them so every piece is about two inches. That might mean some potatoes are halved, while others are quartered or cubed.
When sizes and shapes are similar, the pieces will finish cooking at the same time.
Never drop your cut potatoes in boiling water as it promotes uneven cooking and often leads to potatoes becoming mushy on the outside by the time the center gets soft.
Start the potatoes in a pot of cold water and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Then reduce the temperature to medium-high and gently boil the potatoes until fork-tender. Keep in mind that cooking time can be as short as five minutes.
And be sure to season your water. A respectable potato salad is seasoned from the very beginning, so add about a teaspoon of salt to your boiling water to season your potatoes from the inside out. Wait until your water is at a rolling boil so your salt will dissolve quickly, rather than adding it in the beginning.
For dessert: Make the ultimate carrot cake with this foolproof recipe
How Long To Cook Hard Boiled Eggs
The cook time for hard boiled eggs will vary depending on how large the eggs are, your altitude, and how done you want the yolk to be. After cooking lots of hard boiled eggs in our own kitchen, heres a list of cook times that weve found to be the most accurate:
- Medium eggs = 9 to 10 minutes
- Large eggs = 11 to 12 minutes
- Extra large eggs = 13 to 14 minutes
If you live at a higher altitude, you may need to cook the eggs slightly longer than what weve mention above .
When I am making a large batch of eggs, I like to sacrifice one egg at around the 10 minute mark and check for doneness. If its a little underdone, Ill keep the eggs in the water a bit longer.
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Should You Bake Potatoes For Potato Salad
If you want to try something new and spice up your traditional potato salad, you should certainly try baking the potatoes in the oven instead of boiling them. This will give your salad a unique taste and texture. Here is how to bake your potatoes in the oven when making potato salad: Preheat the oven to 400 °F.
Ingredients Needed To Make The Best Ever Potato Salad
- potatoes I like to use Yukon Gold potatoes but Russets or red potatoes would also work well too.
- redonion has a great flavor and goes great in this recipe!
- celery celery provides a little flavor plus some crunch!
- eggs my favorite way to hard boil eggs is in the instant pot. Its so easy!
- salt + pepper staples in any recipe!
- paprika gives this dish a smokey flavor that is just right!
- sweetrelish you cant have a potato salad without sweet relish. Its key!
- mayonnaise REAL mayonnaise is best for a creamy, rich taste.
- yellowmustard is classic for this old-fashioned potato salad recipe! If you want to kick it up a notch, use dijon.
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Tips For The Best Potato Salad Recipe
- Put the potatoes in the pot of water before you heat up the water and bring it to a boil. This ensures even cooking. If you drop the potatoes into already boiling water, the outside of the potatoes will cook quickly, while the inside will stay hard.
- Boil the potatoes whole. Do NOT dice or peel the potatoes before they go in the water. Cutting or dicing the potatoes causes them to release steam while cooking, which will result in a mushier potato.
- The potatoes will take about15-20 minutes in the boiling water to become fork-tender. If you’re using baby potatoes, they may only require about 10 minutes, so keep a close eye on them — you don’t want to overcook them and end up with mushy potatoes.
- Use full-fat mayo and sour cream for the best flavor and texture. With so few ingredients, you want the highest quality in this dish.
- The potatoes will absorb some of the sour cream and mayonnaise while the salad chills in the fridge, so you will likely need to add an extra spoonful of mayonnaise and/or sour cream right before serving.
How To Boil Potatoes For Potato Salad
Waxy potatoes can be cooked whole or cut, with or without the skin.
Starchy potatoes should be cooked whole with the skin on, then peeled and cut after theyre cooked. Select medium Russet potatoes, not large ones, to ensure the skin doesn’t split while cooking. Peel them when they’re hot , then cut them into cubes.
For both waxy and starchy potatoes, always start by adding cold water to a pot. Then add a generous pinch of salt and the potatoes. Bring the water to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until the potatoes are just tender enough to easily yield when pierced with a knife.
For even more details on how to boil potatoes, head over to our story How to Boil Potatoes.
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Potato Salad For A Crowd
What I love about potato salad is that it serves a lot of people without a lot of effort, and it’s so easy to make a good one.
I love using Yukon golds, though you can use any potato. My dad likes using russets in his potato salad. This recipe is for potato salad with sour cream – using it as a binder makes it extra creamy.
Prepping And Cooking Potatoes
To peel or not to peel? If you’d like to add a little extra color and texture to your salad, leave the skins on. Just be sure to scrub them thoroughly with a vegetable brush before you cook them. Once you’ve either scrubbed or peeled your potatoes, cut them into bite-size chunks, place them in a large pot, and cover them with water. Use a large enough pot to allow for several inches of head room to accommodate the boiling, starchy water. Bring the potatoes to a boil, then generously salt the water. Reduce the heat if necessary to keep the pot at a gentle boil.
How long to boil potatoes for potato salad? Depending on your definition of “bite-size,” the potatoes will take between 8 and 15 minutes to cook. As soon as they’re tender enough to cut through easily, drain them and let them sit in the strainer for a bit to let the steam evaporate excess moisture. Remember that the residual heat will continue cooking the potatoes a little bit even after they’ve been drained.
Hot or not?
Beyond boiling. Boiling’s not the only way to cook potatoes for potato salad. Try some of these other methods:
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Add Acid To Bring Out The Best Potato Flavor
Theres one simple step that will guarantee your potato salad is better than anyone elses at a potluck. No matter which type of potato you choose, tossing them with a splash of vinegar or vinegar and oil will give the potatoes a pop of brightness that brings out the pure potato flavor. You should add the acid right after you cut the potatoes so it penetrates them.
What Is Potato Salad
Potato salad is a classic side dish that’s made with boiled potatoes and a variety of other ingredients. It’s believed to have originated in Germany, eventually making its way to other European countries and the European colonies.
A classic German potato salad is typically served warm or at room temperature and is dressed in a vinegar-based sauce. By contrast, American-style potato salad is often served cold or at room temperature, and is coated with a creamy dressing made from mayonnaise, sour cream, or yogurt. Most potato salad recipes include other seasonings, herbs, or vegetables in addition to the potatoes.
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How Much Potato Salad Per Person
It’s safe to assume that 1 pound of potatoes will feed about 3-4 people. In this case, 2 pounds of potatoes for the potato salad yields about 6-8 servings. If you plan to feed 20 people, you will need to triple all of the ingredients. To feed 50 people, you will need about 8 batches for 100 people, about 15 batches…and so on.
My Top Tips For A Successful Bbq:
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A Famous Family Recipe
Sometimes, theres just nothing better than delicious meat with sides like Baked Beans and Coleslaw for a family BBQ!
Another BBQ Side Dish we LOVE is Potato Salad, and the recipe we love best is one my mom came up with years ago. Its creamy, delicious and easy to make.
What makes this potato salad recipe so special? We love how creamy and flavorful it is. The mixture of mayonnaise, a hint of yellow mustard, and the secret ingredient , make it so delicious.
We really think its the BEST Potato Salad, and its the perfect side dish recipe for any BBQ or summer gathering!
Picking The Right Potatoes
The potatoes you use will make all the difference in the texture of your salad. Some cooks prefer waxy potatoes such as Yellow Finn, Yukon Gold, and red potatoes because they hold their shape when they’re cooked and keep their firm texture in the salad when they’re chopped up and tossed with dressing.
Russet or Idaho potatoes have a drier, starchier texture and tend to break down during cooking, chopping, and tossing with dressing. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. This kind of potato soaks up dressing like a sponge and tends to yield a softer, creamier potato salad. Read up on how to choose the right potato for the recipe.
Tater Tip: Potatoes can add color highlights to your salad. Red potatoes are red on the outside and creamy white on the inside, while purple potatoes hold their color all the way through. You can also use sweet potatoes to add a cheerful touch of orange, as in this Caribbean Sweet Potato Salad.
Related: Get recipes for red potato salads.
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How Long To Boil Potatoes For Potato Salad
Cook your potatoes until theyre just right, not over or under cooked. Start checking your potatoes after theyve been boiling for five minutes by piercing the potatoes with a fork. If the prongs enter cleanly with a little resistance, the potatoes are finished cooking. This can take anywhere from five to eight minutes, depending on the size of your potato pieces. Wait any longer and the potatoes will fall apart.
This Easy Potato Salad Recipe Is The Only One You’ll Ever Need Here’s How To Make It
Few things rival the classic potato salad when its made right. But sadly, most homemade versions can be lackluster. The process seems easy enough, so whats the issue?
Truth is, when crafted at home, there are many ways potato salad can go sideways. Hiccups run the gamut from over- or under-cooked potatoes to under-seasoning. These missteps lead to potato salads that are mushy or too firm, bland or oilynot what you want when making Americas favorite spring and summer side dish.
The best and easiest potato salad you’ll ever make starts with buttery-soft potatoes that are laced with a satiny mayo dressing and studded with smoky bacon, crunchy celery, fresh green onions and sweet pimentos.
It’s a completely foolproof recipe I know you’ll keep coming back to.
Follow my suggestions below to create the perfect potato salad every time.
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Preparation And Storage For A Classic Potato Salad Recipe
- Potato salad can be made 1-2 days ahead of time. Leftover potato salad that has been kept properly chilled will stay fresh in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- If your potato salad has been sitting out at room temperature for more than 2 hours, you should discard any leftovers.
- I do not recommend freezing this old fashioned potato salad. The ingredients will not retain the same consistency when thawed.
Potato Salad With Egg
The last potato salad that I had at a friends cookout was made without hard-boiled eggs.
Ive found that I just really love the flavor and texture that the eggs add to potato salad recipes. In my opinion, eggs are a must! I also use them in my Amish potato salad.
Do you like your potato salad with egg? Inquiring minds want to know. Let me know in the comments below! ð
The one ingredient that my moms classic potato salad recipe did not include is the celery seed.
Ive found that I absolutely love the extra flavor that celery seed adds to the recipe and I never leave them out. Another recipe that I always add celery seed to is my perfect > restaurant-style coleslaw. If youre looking for a fast and easy coleslaw recipe, dont miss it!
Its spring here in Ohio, but its been far too cold to consider having a cookout. Just leave it to our crazy Ohio weather to mess with my grilling plans!
You can bet that the first warm day we get Ill be firing up the grill, making some burgers and whipping up a big batch of this classic potato salad recipe for my family to enjoy.
Im really in my happy place during the summer on those lazy Saturdays when I can relax in the backyard with my friends and family.
RELATED: Looking for another delicious summertime side dish? We also have the BEST sweet macaroni salad and a wonderful cold spaghetti salad!
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Recipe Tips And Variations
- Make ahead: Make up to three days in advance and store covered in the refrigerator.
- Shelf life: Potato salad should not sit out at room temperature longer than 2 hours. According to the USDA, If the potato salad was held in excess of 41°F for over two hours, then discard. Its better to be safe than sorry.
- Mix-ins: Make this potato salad your own by adding cooked bacon, fresh chives or other herbs, minced pickles or relish, peas, capers, or slivered radishes.
The Best Kind Of Potato To Use For Potato Salad
With so many different varieties of potatoes available at the market, it can be confusing to know which potatoes will work best in a creamy potato salad recipe. Ive shown red potatoes here , but Yukon Gold potatoes or other waxy potatoes will also work well. These potatoes hold their shape when cooked and keep their firm texture in the salad when you chop them up and toss them with dressing. Youll want to stay away from starchy, thick-skinned potatoes like russet potatoes, which will fall apart during the cooking process.
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