Potato Salad

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I married into an Italian family with wonderful traditions and great cooks. Their meals consisted of specific recipes, specific ingredients, and specific cooking techniques. And though potato salad is not a typical Italian dish, my husband’s mother and sister made the best in the world! So only recently did I decide to attempt it. I didn’t want to copy my sister-in-law’s recipe precisely because I wanted something that would be a little different and then make it my own. So I combined two recipes, my sister-in-law’s and a Classic potato salad recipe from the Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book (page 462), and I believe the result was much tastier than expected and worth sharing with you!

Potato Salad Recipe

Prep: 40 minutes Chill: 6 to 24 hours

Note: I always take longer than the estimated Prep time.

Makes 12 side-dish servings

Ingredients:

  • 6 pounds of red and golden potatoes
  • 1 ½ cups mayonnaise (you may need to add more)
  • 1 tablespoon prepared mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon of salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
  • 1 cup thinly sliced celery stalks
  • 1 large red chopped onion
  • 6 hard-boiled eggs chopped.
  • 1–22-ounce jar Dell Monte sweet whole pickles chopped – retain the juice
  • salt and pepper
  • Paprika (optional)

Recipe:

  1. In a large pot, place potatoes and enough water to cover potatoes by 2 inches; add a small amount of vegetable oil and ½ teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and cook for 20 to 25 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Drain well; cool slightly—Peel if desired and cubed potatoes.
  2. While the potatoes are cooking, combine in a large bowl the mayonnaise, prepared mustard, the celery, chopped onion, the hard-boiled eggs, the chopped pickles, and the salt-and-pepper.
  3. Begin adding the potatoes to the mixture in approximately thirds. Once all of the potatoes have been added to the mixture cover and chill for 6 to 24 hours. Of course an immediate sample is always good!
  4.  Salt, pepper to taste.
  5. To serve sprinkle with Paprika.

Note: Boiling the potatoes in their skins prevents them from absorbing too much water during the cooking process and ensures firm potatoes for the salad.

Note: It is the juice of the pickles that gives the potato salad its sweetness.

Note: These steps are just a guideline; you can add more or less of the ingredients according to your taste.

In a large pot, place potatoes and enough water to cover potatoes by 2 inches; add a small amount of vegetable oil and ½ teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and cook for 20 to 25 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Drain well; cool slightly—Peel if desired and cubed potatoes.
Hard-boil 6 eggs and then chop
Drain and retain the pickle juice
Use the entire 22 oz jar of sweet pickles.
Drain the pickles and retain the juice for later use.
Chop the all of the pickles.
Thinly slice the red onion.
Then chop the onion.
Chop the celery.

While the potatoes are cooking, combine in a large bowl the mayonnaise, prepared mustard, the celery, chopped onion, the hard-boiled eggs, the chopped pickles, and the salt-and-pepper.

Add the potatoes in small amounts.
Add any remaining chopped eggs.
Gently mix all ingredients.
Once all of the potatoes have been added to the mixture, cover, and chill for 6 to 24 hours. Of course, an immediate sample is always good!
Serve with a sprinkle of Paprika.

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