Every potluck should have a Potato Salad. (Every picnic too, for that matter.) And every person should have a go-to recipe for classic, creamy, picnic-perfect Potato Salad. But I’ve got you covered there. You can have the recipe for this one here. It’s the Potato Salad that you think of when you think of Potato Salad. The one with a creamy mayo dressing that’s bumped up with sweet relish and the one that offers no surprises, but is just fundamentally the gold standard deli side that you already know and love. It’s classic, and we love a good classic.
I like my Potato Salad simple and here are the things I like in it:
Potatoes. That’s probably obvious. I like Yukon Golds; they have a little more flavor, are subtly sweet, and are just a little more toothsome than Russets. Celery and green onion, and then the dressing, which is just mayo, sweet relish, apple cider vinegar, and a touch of mustard. (Yellow works fine but I prefer Dijon.)
First, you want to boil your potatoes. Cover them with cold water that’s been salted and just set them over high heat until they’re fork tender. Starting with cold water ensures that the potatoes cook through evenly and you don’t end up with any hard spots. It should only take fifteen minutes or so if your potatoes are diced reasonably small.
While those boil, I like to start with the dressing. I make it right in the bowl I’m going to serve the salad in, because why create another dish to wash? Whisk together mayo, sweet relish, apple cider vinegar, a dollop of mustard, and some salt and pepper. It’s that easy.
INGREDIENTS
3 lbs Yukon gold potatoes
3-4 ribs celery, diced
2 green onions, sliced
1/2 teaspoon paprika (optional)
FOR THE DRESSING:
1 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sweet relish
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon or yellow mustard
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
PREPARATION
Peel potatoes and chop into bite-sized pieces. Add potatoes to a large pot and over with cold salted water by one inch.
Set over high heat and bring to a boil. Cook until fork tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, relish, apple cider vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper.
Add the potatoes, celery, and green onion and stir to combine. Adjust seasoning as needed.
Chill until ready to serve, at least 2 hours. Sprinkle with paprika before serving, if desired. Enjoy!