Back to Basics - Egg Potato Salad

Back to basics again, this time its potato salad, a staple at every cookout and summer party. I lump potato salad into the category of “everyone has their own version” recipes. Everyone makes potato salad a bit different, just like lasagna, pasta salad, chicken salad, etc, it’s one of those recipes that is really influenced by what your kind your Mom made, your personal preference, and a little ingenuity. Just for the record, I can’t recall my Mom ever making potato salad. It wasn’t something that my Dad would have eaten (still isn’t). My best friend makes an awesome potato salad; she will only use Miracle Whip in hers. I hate Miracle Whip, but I will eat it in her potato salad. Strange but true.

Mine relies on hard-boiled eggs it give it a more creamy texture. I also add pickle juice and a smidge of apple cider vinegar to give it a tang. I steam my potatoes instead of boiling them. I think it helps them from getting waterlogged so they can suck in all the delicious dressing.



I don’t have a formal recipe by any means. Everything is done by eye, but I will try and jot down what I’m adding and how much, so you too and make a delicious and easy potato salad too.

Lisa’s Egg Potato Salad
Printable recipe
6 medium sized russet potatoes, scrubbed, skin-on, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 hard boiled eggs, chopped
½ cup good mayonnaise
¼ cup sour cream
1-teaspoon ground mustard
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 sprigs of thyme
handful of chives
salt
Mrs. Dash (few shakes)
¼ cup pickle juice
1-tablespoon apple cider vinegar
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Place a vegetable steamer in a large pot. Fill with water just until it reaches the bottom of the steamer. Place the potatoes on top of the steamer and cook for approximately 15 minutes, or until a knife can slide easily into them. Drain and place into a large bowl.

In a medium size bowl mix the mayo, sour cream, mustards, thyme, chives, pepper, and Mrs. Dash. You can even make this a day before to really let the flavors infuse.

Stir gently into warm potatoes, add the pickle juice, vinegar and bacon and stir gently again. Refrigerate until cold. When I’m serving a crowd I usually sprinkle mine with some paprika and decorate it with some sliced egg, just to make it look prutty.

Sometimes I add red onion. Sometimes I leave out the eggs. I’ve even been known to throw in fresh cubes cukes from the garden. It’s really one of those recipes that you just keep tasting and adding too until you get it just the way you like it.