American Picnic Potato Salad Recipes

CLASSIC AMERICAN-STYLE POTATO SALAD

Steps:

• Place potatoes in a pot with water to cover. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer, stirring to ensure even cooking, until a thin-bladed paring knife or a metal skewer inserted into a potato can be removed with no resistance, 25 to 30 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water and drain again. Cool slightly.
• Cut warm potatoes into 3/4-inch dice with a serrated knife. Layer them in a bowl, seasoning with vinegar, salt and pepper as you go. Cut eggs, celery and pickle in 1/4-inch dice and thinly slice scallions. Add to potatoes, along with parsley. Stir in mayonnaise and mustard until everything is combined. Chill, covered, before serving.

PICNIC POTATO SALAD

Steps:

• Wash the potatoes and add them to large pot, then cover with water. Season with salt -- 1 teaspoon for every quart of water. Add the vinegar and bring the water to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer. Cook 15 to 20 minutes or until potatoes can easily be pierced with the tip of a sharp knife.
• Drain potatoes then add them to an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Once cooled, peel potatoes which should easily slip off with just slightly scraping and pulling.
• While the potatoes are cooking add the eggs in one layer to a large saucepan and cover with a couple inches of cold water. Bring to boil over high heat and cook for 1 minute. Remove the pot from the heat and with the lid on let stand for 15 minutes.
• Drain the hot water from the eggs and fill the pot completely with ice cubes. Allow to sit for 20 minutes. Peel eggs under the faucet with a thin stream of cold water running.
• After peeling the eggs, cut them and separate the yolks from the whites. Chop the whites into bite size pieces and reserve.
• In a medium bowl mash the yolks and mix in the mayonnaise, sour cream, and mustard until the consistency is similar to mayonnaise. Season to taste with salt and pepper. This is the dressing for the salad. Set aside while the rest of the salad is prepared.
• Cut peeled potatoes into bite-size chunks and add to a large bowl.
• Add the onions, celery, scallions, pickles, eggs whites and herbs to potatoes. Toss to combine then gently add the reserved egg dressing. Cover the salad with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.
• To Serve: Remove plastic wrap and garnish with paprika and chopped chives, scallion tops or parsley.

THE BEST AMERICAN POTATO SALAD

Steps:

• Put the potatoes in a large saucepan; cover with cold water and season with 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer and cook until tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Add the vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon salt; toss. Let cool slightly, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, put the eggs in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat and let sit, covered, 10 minutes. Drain the eggs and cover with ice water to cool; peel, chop and set aside.
• Whisk the mayonnaise, sour cream, pickle brine, mustard and sugar in a small bowl. Stir in the pickles, celery, scallions and parsley. Spoon the mayonnaise mixture over the potatoes and mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Add the hard-boiled eggs and gently stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight. Sprinkle with paprika just before serving.

AMERICAN POTATO SALAD

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add potatoes, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until tender but still firm. Drain, cool and cut into cubes.
• Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil and immediately remove from heat. Cover and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from hot water, cool, peel and chop.
• In a large bowl, combine chopped potatoes and eggs. Mix together mayonnaise, chopped onion, green onion, green pepper, and celery. Season with salt and pepper, then mix well. Cover, and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

JULIA'S AMERICAN-STYLE POTATO SALAD

Steps:

• Peel the potatoes and slice each one lengthwise in half, or in quarters if very large; then cut crosswise into half-round or quarter-round slices, about 1/2 inch thick.
• Put the slices in a saucepan with water just to cover and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt per quart of water. Heat to a simmer, and cook the potatoes for 5 to 6 minutes, or until just cooked through. It is essential that they be just cooked through. Bite into a slice or two to be very sure. Immediately remove from the heat and drain the potatoes into a colander, but save a cup of the cooking liquid for dressing the potatoes. Transfer bowl. Stir the cider vinegar with 1/3 cup of the potato water or chicken stock and drizzle this over the potato pieces, turning them gently to distribute it evenly. Let sit 10 minutes to absorb the liquid.
• Add the prepared onion, celery, bacon, pickle, hard-boiled eggs, and chives, and season carefully, to taste. Top with 2/3 cup of mayonnaise (or a mix of mayonnaise and a bit of sour cream) and, with a large rubber spatula, gently fold everything together until well blended. Taste the salad and add more salt, pepper, or mayonnaise as needed.
• Cover the salad and set aside in the refrigerator for at least an hour or so before serving. If it is refrigerated longer, let it come back to room temperature before serving. Taste and adjust the seasoning again.
• To serve, line a bowl or a platter with red-leaf lettuce or other greens, and mound the salad on top. Decorate at the last moment, if you wish, with any or all of the optional garnishes.

ALL-AMERICAN POTATO SALAD

Steps:

• Peel and cut potatoes in 1" cubes. Place in saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring up to a gentle simmer and cook until tender, when a knife slides in and out of cubes without resistance, about 10-15 minutes. Drain potatoes and turn out onto a baking sheet.
• Whisk mustard with 2 tbsp of juice from a jar of pickles. Pour over hot potatoes and toss with fingers to coat. Spread out potatoes and refrigerate for 30 minutes until cool.
• Combine pickle, celery, red onion and remaining 1 tbsp pickle juice with salt and celery seed. Add mayonnaise and sour cream and whisk together.
• Add potatoes and toss. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes longer. Add diced egg and fold to combine.

PICNIC POTATO SALAD

Steps:

• Scrub potatoes. Cut in half if large.
• In a saucepan, cover potatoes with cold water, bring to a boil, cook for 10 to 15 minutes or just until tender but not mushy.
• Drain; return potatoes to pot to dry over low heat for 30 seconds.
• Arrange in a single layer on a cookie sheet (or any platter or dish to hold potatoes in a single layer)to allow to cool.
• Meanwhile, trim and cut radishes in half. With flat sides down, thinly slice radishes and place in large bowl.
• Add finely diced celery and chopped green onions or sweet onion to bowl.
• Add red or green pepper and finely chopped pepperoni or kielbasa if using.
• Peel cooled potatoes.
• Cut potatoes into 3/4 inch cubes or 1/4� slices. Add to veggies in the bowl.
• Dressing:.
• In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper.
• Gradually whisk in oil until blended.
• Stir in parsley, if using.
• Pour dressing over potato mixture.
• Gently toss to coat well.
• Taste and adjust seasonings.