Grandma's Old Fashioned Potato Salad
This classic recipe features a few "secret" techniques to create the potato salad you remember.
Ingredients
- 2 –2½ lbs Yukon Gold or red potatoes
- 2 teaspoons salt (for the cooking water)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons yellow mustard
- ½ cup chopped yellow onion
- ½ cup chopped celery
- 2 hard boiled eggs peeled and chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Halve 2 –2½ lbs Yukon Gold or red potatoes (or quarter if large) and place in a large saucepan and cover with water. Add 2 teaspoons salt to the water.
- Place the saucepan on the stove over high heat and bring to a boil. Cook for 15–20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender but not mushy. A paring knife should easily be able to pierce through the largest piece of potato in the pot.
- Drain well and let the potatoes sit in the warm pot with the lid off for 10 minutes.
- Remove the peels, and cut the potatoes into ½ inch pieces (or slightly smaller, depending on your preference).
- Place the potatoes in a large bowl, and toss gently with 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon white vinegar, 1 teaspoon sugar, and ½ teaspoon salt. Let chill in the fridge for 2 hours. Leave it uncovered so any steam can escape.
- Remove the potatoes from the fridge and stir in 1 cup mayonnaise, 2 teaspoons yellow mustard, ½ cup chopped yellow onion, ½ cup chopped celery, and 2 hard boiled eggs. Serve right away or refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Top with paprika and/or additional slices of hard boiled eggs for garnish.
Notes
The salad will keep in the fridge for 4–5 days. I don't recommend freezing it as the dressing can get watery during the freeze/thaw process.
Variations: add ½ cup chopped pickles (dill or sweet); ½ cup pickle relish; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs like chives, parsley, or dill; or a small jar of drained and chopped pimentos.
Serving tip: to take the salad to a warm-weather cookout, put it in a serving bowl, then nestle the serving bowl in a larger bowl filled with ice to keep it chilled (here's an example, but you can just make your own).
Nutrition
Calories: 277kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 3gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 15gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 53mgSodium: 651mgPotassium: 233mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 108IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 20mgIron: 1mg
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