Our Family's Potato Salad

How can it be 4 months since we posted last?  It's been summer in Montana, that's how.  We've been outside!!  We've been fishing, hiking, porch-dwelling, BBQing, and making our Black Bean and Corn Salsa (recipe coming soon), mastering Potato Salad, and making our version of Chinese Cole Slaw many times over!  So now that the weather is turning cooler, I don't mind being inside at the computer.

Let's talk about potato salad.  This has been a mystery to me.  What kind of potato?  Miracle Whip or Mayo?  Mustard or not? (Nicole would say NOT)  Potato to Egg ratio?  Pickles or Celery, or both?  And through all of this, I will know it when I taste it.  My family has THE BEST potato salad.  My cousin, Angie, is expected to bring it to every family get together.  Nicole says to me, "Just look for 'best potato salad' on Pinterest."  I said, "I don't want the best potato salad recipe - I want our family's recipe."  HAHAHA

A lot of our Dad's side of the family came to visit for Memorial Day weekend and it led to many conversations with our Aunt Pam about the family potato salad.  I told her that I needed to call our cousin, Angie, since she couldn't make it to visit, to get her "recipe" (which I knew didn't exist because she just knows how to make it) and Aunt Pam said, "I can tell you how to make it".  Here's what I wrote down:

• Peel and boil 5 russet potatoes until just done - dice
• 6 hard boiled eggs - peel and dice
• Celery is optional, Angie doesn't use, Aunt Pam does
• Mix these three together
• In a separate bowl, mix: 
• 4-5 tbsp Miracle Whip
• 1 tbsp Yellow Mustard
• sprinkle onion salt
• sprinkle celery salt
• salt and pepper to taste
• splash apple cider 
• Taste - if you need, you might need to add a touch of sugar.  If your sauce tastes good, your salad will, too.
• Pour over egg/potato mixture and sprinkle paprika on top.

Well, that answers so many questions.  HOORAY!

So, my inaugural attempt gave me the amounts and ratios - because potatoes around here can be the size of my fist or the size of my face.  And I only had onion powder, but adding a smidge more salt should have done the trick, and it needed the sprinkle of sugar.  But, even though my sauce tasted good before I poured it, my potato salad tasted like raw potato and hard-boiled eggs.  It was soooo bland. I called Aunt Pam because how much is a "sprinkle" to her?  A teaspoon?  A tablespoon?  

And throughout this, we just laugh at my many examples of "There is no recipe, I just know what it tastes like" debacles.  And don't get me started about my "special" crocheted wash rags.

Enter a visit from our mother!  Wait!  I'll bet she knows how to make it.  "Hey mom - will you see if you have a recipe for Grandma's potato salad?"   She had one, but it was ingredients only, no amounts.  Great.  I already have the ingredients (they matched what Aunt Pam said).  So during her visit, she gave it a try - while I insisted she measure and write down every single thing she put in the bowl.  And voilà.  THE potato salad.  And yep...I knew it when I tasted it.  But I now have the recipe:

Potato Salad

5 red or russet* potatoes-the size of your fist
5  eggs
2-3 celery stalks, diced (optional)
1/4 c Miracle Whip (not fat free kind)
2 tsp yellow mustard
1/2 - 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
2-3 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp each of salt, pepper, and celery salt, onion powder
1/4 tsp paprika, for pretty looks

• Peel and halve potatoes. In a medium-sized sauce pan, boil the potatoes covered in water on high until just fork tender (you want them to be a little firm so they keep their shape when diced).  Drain.
• Place eggs in a medium sauce pan and cover with cold water until at least an inch over the top of the eggs. 
• On high heat, bring eggs to a boil.  Once rolling boil, reduce to medium heat and let them simmer for 10 minutes.  
• Once timer goes off, remove from heat, rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process.
• The potatoes should be cool enough to dice.  After diced, put in large bowl.
• Peel and dice eggs, add to potatoes.
• If adding celery, dice and add to potatoes and eggs.
• In separate bowl, mix the remaining ingredients except the paprika, until well incorporated.
• Pour over potatoes and eggs.  Mix gently.
• Sprinkle paprika over salad.
• Refrigerate until serving.

This is really great left over so I put into single serving containers for my lunches for work.  

*when our mom was here, I only had red potatoes.  I've used both kinds and can't really tell a difference in taste or texture.  But since I've only used the two kinds, that's all I can recommend.

Update Aug 2020:  I only had celery seed on hand. Added a smidge more salt to accommodate celery salt. Also, I forgot the sugar and it turned out great. So that is clearly optional. LOL!  If too salty, just add a little more miracle whip and mustard.