When I was little, my mom would always make this salad for every potluck and barbeque we attended. And people raved about it! Of course, as a kid, I LOVED it too!
When I got old enough, I started making it on my own…
And now it’s a It’s a MUST-HAVE item at every gathering.
Potato salad is such a fun and versatile salad to make. There are many different options and ingredients to spice things up!
It is gluten free based on the ingredients I use and it can also be made to be vegetarian as well.
Now, it’s time for Mom’s famous potato salad recipe…
My mom also taught me to make sure the potatoes don’t get too mushy (keep reading).
My mouth is watering so let’s jump right in!
First things first, boil the eggs the night before, allowing them to sit overnight in the fridge. So once they have sat overnight, dice them up into chunks and just set them aside for now.
Next, prepare the potatoes. Rinse them off and cut them into a size you like best (I like mine larger). I also keep the skin on mine for some added flavor.
Then, place in a pot of water and bring to a boil. Once they are at a boil, stir in some salt, and adjust the heat so the potatoes are at a low-boil… meaning they’re boiling, just not as vigorously (you want to avoid having the skins peel off completely). Boil for about 10-12 minutes, until you can easily pierce with a fork. Make sure to keep a close watch, as there is a fine line between a gentle pierce with a fork (still a bit firm) versus complete mush for mashed potatoes.
Once they have boiled, remove them from the pot of water into a colander and run them under cold water for a minute or so to stop the cooking process. Drain them by shaking well to get any water off and then set them aside in a bowl. Then, add vinegar (I prefer apple cider vinegar for flavor). Add as little or as much as you want – and fear not if they smell too strong of vinegar as this will ease up greatly with the other ingredients and the dressing!
Now, start on your dressing. I use a mayo based dressing, but you can also use sour cream or even some plain greek yogurt for a healthier alternative! Combine the mayo (2-3 cups depending on the portion size you are making), dill, salt, pepper, into a large mixing bowl. I use the same bowl for mixing the ingredients in after also.
Once the dressing is all whisked up nicely, you can move on to the remaining ingredients.
You can buy pre-cooked bacon if you are in a hurry or cook up your own. I like to cook thick-cut bacon on my own, and I cook them so they are nice and crispy. That extra crunch in the salad is a nice touch!
After the bacon has cooked and cooled down, chop it up into pieces (again, as big or small as you would like). I like to make them just a bit bigger than bacon bit size. Of course, you can completely skip the bacon for a meat free option or even add some diced tofu.
Then, dice up the rest of the ingredients: celery, onions and pickles.
Finally, take all of the remaining prepared ingredients (potatoes, eggs, celery, onions, and pickles) and add them to the mixing bowl you have the dressing in.
Stir well to combine then but be careful as to not mush down the potatoes while you stir. For an extra kick, sprinkle on some paprika or even some cayenne pepper on top!
You will want to chill the salad for about 3-4 hours to let all the flavors set in and really have it settle.