Classic Potato Salad

The grocery store, a small family-owned business, was famous throughout our small-town Pittsburgh neighborhood for its endless collection of salads.

And, bless your heart, I am most definitely not talking about ones with leafy greens and heart-healthy light vinaigrettes.

At this store, lines would form up and down the aisles for customers to get their hands on big, fat scoopfuls of fatty, thick, unctuous, mayo-laden mixes.

With a pantry stocked full of tubs upon tubs of non-branded bulk mayonnaise, the store was in constant supply of everyone’s favorite creamy concoctions, each row of the prepared foods display case piled high with big batches.

Without ever skipping a beat every single day, there was always the reliable lineup of tuna, egg, coleslaw, chicken, ham, broccoli, macaroni…

And potato salad.

Every one of these offerings were simple and humble – a no-frills, honest-to-goodness style of cookery that any hard-working Pittsburgher could appreciate.

But the potato salad in particular was something special, and I can quickly recall repeat memories of working at six in the morning, nibbling on a small ramekin of a freshly made batch one of the cooks would give me, while I would glaze doughnuts and bake sheet cakes.

This cool and creamy recipe is something I want to share with you, one of the ultimate homemade side dishes for easy lunches and casual dinners!

A mayo-based sauce flavored with mustard and white wine vinegar thickly coats buttery chunks of golden potatoes. Crisp bits of celery and sweet white onion add just the amount of textural contrast and refreshing bites of raw, fresh flavor.

Chopped hard-boiled eggs dotted throughout the mix offer lovely tender morsels and a little color from the yolks.

Embrace the vibe of a small-town grocery store with this side dish – and don’t forget the bag of chips and cold-cut sandwich to serve along with it!

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Cooking by the Numbers…

Step 1 – Hard-Boil And Peel the Eggs

Fill a medium pot 3/4 of the way full with water, and bring to a boil on the stovetop over high heat. You want the pot to be large enough for the eggs to have ample space for cooking evenly.

Once at a boil, gently place the four eggs into the water using a heatproof skimmer, a handy tool for safely lifting food out of hot liquid.

Boil them for 11 minutes – this amount of time ensures the whites and yolks are fully cooked, but still leaves a slightly softer yolk. If you prefer a more jelly-like yolk, cook them for a shorter amount of time, about 9 minutes.

While they are cooking, prepare an ice bath in a large bowl next to the stovetop for easy transferring. The ice bath shocks and helps to instantly stop the cooking process, and also helps the shells easily peel off from the whites.

When they have cooked for the full 11 minutes, immediately remove them from the pot using the skimmer and submerge them in the ice bath.

Allow them to cool for about 5 minutes before peeling. When they are cool enough to handle after 5 minutes of being in the ice bath, you can now peel them.

Make sure you have a bowl for the peeled eggs, as well as a separate bowl for the shells. You can dispose of the shells, or save them to add to your kitchen compost.

Are there still tiny shell fragments? After peeling, briefly run them under cold water to remove anything remaining on the whites. Tap dry with paper towels.

Place them whole in an airtight container and allow to cool completely in the refrigerator – this will take about 1 to 2 hours.

Step 2 – Boil the Potatoes

As the eggs are cooling, this gives you time to boil and cool the baby Yukon Golds.

Place the spuds and one tablespoon of salt in a large pot, and cover with cold water until it reaches at least 1 inch above them – this amount of water ensures there will be enough liquid to evenly cook them.

The large amount of salt is necessary for evenly and thoroughly seasoning the pieces as they cook in the water. No blandness here!

Transfer the pot to the stovetop and bring to a boil over high heat. Once the water is at a rolling boil, continue boiling to cook them until you can easily pierce through their flesh with a fork or knife. This will take about 12 to 15 minutes for a baby Yukon Gold variety.

If this variety is not available, use any other kind of waxy variety. If they are larger, adjust the boiling time by an additional 5 to 10 minutes.

When they are tender, carefully remove the pot from the heat. Pour out all the contents over a large, heatproof colander in the sink to drain the water.

Allow the them to cool for about 30 minutes. You don’t want them to be too hot when you mix everything together, as this will alter the texture of the dressing and slows down the final cooling and setting time of the composed salad.

Step 3 – Make the Dressing

In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, white wine vinegar, the remaining salt, and the freshly cracked black pepper.

You can use a store-bought mayo, but if you want to challenge yourself with a new cooking technique, learn how to make mayonnaise entirely from scratch – with our help, of course!

And you can also make your own mustard, too. Way to go, homesteader!

If the freshly cooked ingredients still need some time to cool down, you can cover the dressing and place it in the refrigerator.

Step 4 – Chop and Slice Ingredients

Using a sturdy cutting board and sharp chef’s knife, chop the celery stalks and sweet onion. If you need a brief prep lesson, learn how to properly cut an onion.

Depending on the size of your spuds, slice them in half or quarter them.

Roughly chop the hard-boiled eggs.

Step 5 – Mix Everything Together

Place the eggs, spuds, celery, and onion in a large serving bowl.

Pour the dressing on top, and mix everything together until all of the ingredients are completely incorporated.

A rubber spatula is best for this step! Try to use a gentle folding motion to avoid smashing the ingredients.

Step 6 – Chill and Serve

Tightly cover the bowl with a layer of plastic wrap, and transfer it to your refrigerator. Allow the mix to chill and set for at least one hour before serving.

For some added color, garnish the bowl with fresh herbs, like basil or parsley.

Eat the salad within three days to enjoy it at its best quality. Store any leftovers in an airtight container.

The Best Casual Side Dish

This salad is really meant to be enjoyed alongside other dishes for the ultimate cool and casual meal experience.

For lunch, serve it with cold sandwiches like our sprouts, avocado, and cheddar sandwich. For a meatier bite for your midday meal, you’ll like it paired with our New Orleans muffuletta sandwich.

It’s also a go-to side dish to have at any summery barbecue party! For a big crowd, double or triple the batch to serve with your famous pulled pork or garlic rosemary hamburgers. And there’s a special place in our summer dinner plans to enjoy it with hot dogs.