Good Midwestern Potato Salad
This Good Midwestern Potato Salad is the side dish of your dreams. Potatoes, eggs, celery and onion, dressed with a creamy, tangy sauce. So simple and so good!
Earlier this summer, I saw a satire-type article circulating on Facebook about the types of foods that are and are not allowed at a barbecue.
And when it came to potato salad, the only type allowed was that made by a “certified potato salad maker.”
I’ve gotta say, I really agree with this. Potato salad is a seemingly easy dish to make, but not everybody knows how to make it right. It’s best to leave it to the certified potato salad makers, and in our family, that’s my mom (I’ll stick to making root beer ribs).
Luckily, she’s sharing her recipe with us today, so we can all become certified!
Her recipe is just a classic, really good potato salad that a lot of us in the Midwest grew up eating (complete your Midwest meal with a brandy old fashioned).
It’s made with boiled, peeled, russet potatoes, onion, celery and hard boiled eggs. Use the rest of the bag of celery to make my rigatoni bolognese recipe for the freezer!
The “sauce” is simply mayonnaise (Hellmann’s, NOT Miracle Whip – gross), yellow mustard (don’t get fancy and use any other type of mustard), Thousand Island dressing, and salt and pepper.
Perhaps the Thousand Island dressing is the secret that makes my mom’s potato salad so good.
I’ve seen a lot of recipes that call for pickle relish instead, but Thousand Island has pickle relish IN it, plus some other flavors.
A sprinkle of paprika (also good for making spicy potato chips) plus some extra hard boiled eggs on top completes The Certified Awesome Midwestern Potato Salad. It’s one of my very favorite side dishes for ribs.
Good Midwestern Potato Salad
This Good Midwestern Potato Salad is the side dish of your dreams. Potatoes, eggs, celery and onion, dressed with a creamy, tangy sauce. So simple and so good!
Ingredients
- 3 pounds russet potatoes
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup Thousand Island dressing
- 2 teaspoons yellow mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 celery stalks, chopped
- 3 hard boiled eggs, chopped, plus 1 hard boiled egg, sliced, for garnish (optional)
- 1 small onion, chopped
- Ground paprika, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Place potatoes in large pot and cover with cold water by two inches. Heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook until potatoes are just tender when pierced with a paring knife. Drain. Place potatoes on plate and transfer to refrigerator until completely cool (this step can be done up to 1 day in advance).
- Meanwhile, in medium bowl, whisk mayonnaise, Thousand Island dressing, mustard, salt and pepper until smooth.
- When potatoes are cool, peel and discard potato skins. Chop potatoes into 1/2-inch cubes and place in large bowl. Add celery, chopped eggs and onions, toss until well combined. Gradually add mayonnaise mixture until your desired level of "sauciness" is achieved (you may not need all of the mayonnaise mixture). Cover and transfer to refrigerator for at least 4 hours and up to 2 days.
- Serve potato salad garnished with sliced hard boiled egg and paprika, if desired.
Epic Barbecue Party Recipe Schedule:
- Wednesday, July 12th: Epic Barbecue Party Overview
- Thursday, July 13th: Coleslaw with Apple Cider Vinegar
- Thursday, July 20th: Triple Berry Crisp Bars
- Monday, July 24th: Harissa Barbecue Chicken
- Thursday, July 27th: Good Midwestern Potato Salad + Millionaire’s Fruit Salad
- Monday, July 31st: Grill-Roasted Antipasto Packets
- Vanilla Lemonade <— click for recipe
Other Barbecue & Picnic Ideas:
- Heirloom Tomato & Beet Salad
- Summer Vegetable Pepe Pasta Salad
- Roasted Corn Salad
- BBQ Party Dinner Bowls
- Beer Brats with Beer Queso
- Grilled Lamb Sandwich Platter
- Blackberry Tequila Mojito
- Cherry & Ginger Prosecco Spritz
- Peach Pie Ice Cream Bars
Making one of these recipes? Please let me know by sharing a photo on social media with the hashtag #FLLEpicBarbecue
Looks amazing! I’ve never heard of using Thousand Island in potato salad before but can’t wait to try it out. 🙂
Thanks Rae! I know, the Thousand Island is not at all traditional in potato salad, but it’s so good!