The Overlooked Under Appreciated Potato Salad

Summer is here (and quickly slipping away), and you know what that means—barbecues, cookouts, picnics, and potlucks.

When it comes to outdoor casual get-togethers, the grill usually gets all the love. Okay, maybe the grill and the cooler (or the 10 gallon container of margaritas). Burgers and hotdogs and all the fixings will be planned carefully, ribs will be marinated overnight, and someone who knows what she’s doing will be put in charge of the drinks. But the sides? Sometimes the sides are simply store-bought, or even forgotten altogether.

Potato salad is probably the most popular summer side dish, but it’s not surprising that many people can just take it or leave it. After all, it’s hard to get excited about something that’s delegated to giant machines dishing out tub after tub of this poor, maligned salad.

I'm changing that right here. Right now. It’s time the potato salad got its fair share of the summer fan-fare love.

Let’s start with the basics. To the traditionalist, potato salad has to be creamy, simply seasoned, with nothing detracting from the potatoes. Yep, we’ve got some of that here with my all-time favorite Potato Salad: 

Ingredients

• 5 pounds potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 10 eggs
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 (24 ounce) jar sweet pickles, drained and chopped
• 2 cups mayonnaise

Directions

1. Place the potatoes in a large pan of water and boil over medium-low heat until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain the potatoes, and place in the refrigerator to cool.
2. Place the eggs in a saucepan of cold water over medium heat, and bring to a full boil. Turn off the heat, cover the pan, and allow the eggs to sit in the hot water for about 15 minutes. Cool the eggs thoroughly under cold running water and shell them. Chop the cooled eggs and place them in a large salad bowl.
3. Stir the onion, sweet pickles, and mayonnaise into the eggs, and let the mixture chill in the refrigerator at least l/2 hour to blend the flavors. Mix in the chilled chopped potatoes, and refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour. Serve cold. 

To try something different, check out the potato salads below:


Clockwise from top left: The Best American-Style Potato Salad from ThreeManyCooks, Perfect Potato Salad from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe, Deviled Potato Salad from anediblemosaic, Creamy Potato Salad from Ursala’s Tried-N-True, Mom’s Potato Salad from lizzygoesdutch, and Ree’s Potato Salad
 
If you’re feeling slightly more adventurous (but only slightly), sometimes the simple addition of dill can do wonders for your potato salad. Ah, dill. I love you with salmon and with pickles, but oh, what you do to potato salad.

Clockwise from left: Dilled Potato & Pickled Cucumber Salad from theparsleythief, Dill Potato Salad from bunkycooks, and Dilled Potato Salad from Food for My Family.

 
Want more adventure? Let’s load up that potato salad, shall we? Bacon, cheese, sour cream … or keep it light with green beans and almonds. No more Plain Jane salad, that’s for sure.

Clockwise from top left: Bacon Ranch Potato Salad from Laurie @SimplyScratch, Baked Potato Salad from Karly Campbell, Not Another Boring Potato Salad from KeepItSimpleFoods, and Loaded Potato Salad from D’anne.

And if you’re a rebel like me, you’ll toss the cream altogether. The advantage of skipping the mayo or creamy dressing is that it’ll hold up to the outdoors a little better. From roasted potatoes to sweet potatoes to grilled potatoes with vegetables, try one of these non-traditional potato salads and steal some of the burger’s thunder.

Clockwise from top left: Warm Roasted Potato Salad from runningwithtweezers, Roasted Sweet Potato and Black Bean Salad from The Red Spoon, Lemony Potato Salad with Basil and Mint from Recipe for Delicious, Warm Chorizo and New Potato Salad from londonbakes, Grilled Red Pepper Potato Salad from GrillGrrrl, and Festive Grilled Zucchini and Sweet Potato Salad from Natalie (Perrys’ Plate).

There you have it! These are just some of the many ways to jazz up the usually-ordinary potato salad. Give one a go! Or maybe you have a family favorite you’d like to share. Do tell! I love it when the underdog shines.