My Southern Potato Salad Recipe is just like Mom’s. She used red potatoes, sweet relish and a hand held potato masher! This old fashioned classic side dish is a must have for summer soirees and picnics.
I am the designated Potato Salad maker in my family these days. I make it just like my mother did using all of the same ingredients with the exception of onions.
Onion Alternative
Mama would put cut up onions in the potato salad which was fine with me because I love them but most of our family disagrees. I switched to onion powder for the flavor without actually having raw onions. Another alternative is to pulverize onions until they are basically onion juice and use that.
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In an effort to cut down on large cookware to wash, I mix my potato salad up in the same pot I boil the potatoes in. After draining the potatoes in a colander, I just put them back into my old cast iron dutch oven.
Red potatoes make the best potato salad but if you have white potatoes, they will work too. Be sure to peel and cut them into small enough chunks so that the boiling time doesn’t take forever. About 20 to 25 minutes of boiling time should yield fork tender potatoes ready for salad.
Also See: Crockpot Brown Sugar & Pineapple Glazed Ham
Be sure to allow your potatoes to completely cool prior to mashing and blending so the potatoes will not mash too smooth unless of course you prefer your Potato Salad to be really smooth and not chunky.
I use my handy dandy small food chopper to chop the boiled eggs really well. They disperse better throughout the potato salad when chopped well.
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One of my personal favorite kitchen tools is my hand held potato masher. I wish I had the one I grew up watching my Mama use. It had a red wood handle. I remember it well.
Sometimes we like to slice a boiled egg rather thin to top the Potato Salad but first we sprinkle it with Paprika for some added color.
Sometimes I leave the skin on the red potatoes for added fiber. Always sprinkle some Paprika on top. Smoked Paprika is best!
Serve Potato Salad as a side dish with:
- Fried Chicken
- Baked Ham
- BBQ
- Grilled Meat
- Meatloaf
- Pork Chops
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- 3 lbs. red potatoes
- 1 Cup Mayonnaise (Duke's preferably)
- 3 Eggs, boiled and chopped
- ¼ Cup Sweet Pickle Relish, do not drain
- 2 oz. Jar Diced Pimentos, do not drain
- 1 Tbsp. Onion Powder
- 1 Tbsp. Dry Mustard
- 1 tsp. Salt
- ½ tsp. Pepper
- Peel and cut the potatoes into fourths.
- Place potatoes into a Dutch oven, cover with water and boil until fork tender.
- Drain potatoes and place back into the Dutch oven.
- Allow the potatoes to completely cool before mixing remaining ingredients.
- After the potatoes have cooled, Top with remaining ingredients
- Mash potatoes while blending in the ingredients using a hand held potato masher.
- Continue mashing until there are small tidbits of potatoes remaining.
- You can complete the blending process using a spoon once the potatoes are sufficiently mashed.
- Chill in refrigerator one hour prior to serving.
- OPTIONAL: Sprinkle the top lightly with Paprika
Shirley Wood
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Julie says
Hi Shirley, I love potato salad and yours looks really good. Thanks for sharing at Cooking and Crafting with J & J. 🙂
Carlee says
There is nothing like a good potato salad. I’ve never mashed my taters. I’ll have to give that a go!