Mom’s Famous Potato Salad

This recipe has been handed down for generations in my family, but my mother takes the credit for the secret to making it so delicious. There is never much left over at parties and grown men have requested second helpings in lieu of desserts, or a “little of that potato salad with my cake” at numerous affairs. Children love it and it goes well with picnic fare but also as part of an elegant cold supper.

The secret to making this potato salad better than anyone else’s is mixing the dressing up in the bowl and adding the peeled potatoes while they are still warm, the hotter the better. This allows the dressing to be soaked up more into the potatoes and gives an excellent flavor. Then letting it chill to impart the flavor through the whole potato. Mom usually sprinkles on a little paprika and slices a few eggs on the top for decoration. Several times I have seen her slice green pepper rings or sweet pickles on top as decoration.

5 lbs white potatoes
7 hard boiled eggs ( can be hot or cold)
1 small onion chopped (about ¾-1 cup)
5 stalks of celery chopped (about ¾-1 cup)

Dressing:
1 Tbsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
Dash of pepper, black or white
2-3 cups of real mayonnaise

Chop celery and onions into small pieces.

Hard boil eggs and leave in pan with water until potatoes have finished cooking.

Cook potatoes by covering in water and boiling until tender (the skin begins to “crack”) about 10 minutes.

While potatoes are cooking, mix dressing in a deep bowl. Mix salt, sugar, vinegar, pepper, and 2 cups of mayonnaise together.

Peel and chop eggs and add to dressing. Do not over mix.

Peel Hot potatoes and chop into 1’’ cubes.

Fold immediately into dressing, folding with each new potato added until all of the potatoes have been added. Again, do not over mix or you will get “mashed potatoes”.

Add more mayonnaise, up to one additional cup while folding in potatoes. Mixture should be creamy not dry.

Cover. Refrigerate until completely chilled. Mix lightly before serving.

You can decorate with paprika, sliced eggs, olives, sweet pickles or sliced fresh pepper rings.

Serves 10-12. Recipe can be doubled, tripled and even 10X-ed well.
Joan Ridler -My mom’s name is Frances Houser from Homestead, PA…Steel Country USA