• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to header navigation
  • Skip to footer navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About
  • Collaborate
  • Contact
Facebook
Pinterest
Instagram
Twitter
YouTube
BlogLovin'
RSS

Valerie's Kitchen

Simple, seasonal home cooking

  • Recipe Box
  • Videos
  • The Cookbook
  • Beyond the Kitchen
Home » Side Dish » Salad » Old Fashioned Potato Salad

Old Fashioned Potato Salad

By Valerie · August 11, 2017 · Updated May 21, 2020 24 Comments

SD Side Dish H Holidays
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

This Old Fashioned Potato Salad recipe is my version of the classic American potluck dish. Tender potatoes with a creamy, perfectly seasoned dressing. This fail-proof recipe is one of my old favorites!

A spoon lifts up a scoop of Old Fashioned Potato Salad from a glass serving bowl.

There are a lot of varieties of potato salad out there but this one is straight-up, old school, summer party in the backyard potato salad.

I grew up eating and LOVING my sister Barb’s potato salad and this recipe is a take-off on hers. I’ve made just a few slight modifications over the years and I’m happy to say that the result is wonderful.

Barb has a knack for potato salad; one of her many talents in the kitchen. She never measures anything so getting her pinned down on a recipe can be a bit difficult but I took it upon myself to press her on this one and thank goodness I did. It just can’t be beat!

A close up image of the potato salad in a glass serving bowl with a spoon laying behind it.

This recipe includes what I think is the precise ratio of dressing to potatoes, a vital element to any good potato salad. Although I rarely measure my produce at the grocery store, I make an exception when buying potatoes to make this salad so I can get that perfect ratio every time.

The ingredients including hard boiled eggs, the creamy dressing, and the potatoes, onion and celery in glass bowls on a marble surface.

The simple ingredients include 3 pounds cooked, cooled and chopped Yukon Gold potatoes, diced white onion, and diced celery. It’s important to dice the veggies to distribute all that flavor and get the appropriate texture in each bite. Once that is combined it’s tossed with the dressing and chopped hard-boiled eggs.

The Best Potatoes for Potato Salad

My sister always uses russet potatoes and although they are less expensive, I just can’t stress enough how fantastic Yukon Gold potatoes are for potato salad. So, so worth it.

There is no need to peel the potatoes before you boil them. Drop them into a big pot, cover them with water and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat a little, cover the pot, and let the potatoes simmer at a low boil for 20 to 25 minutes, until tender but not falling apart. Drain off all the hot water and immediately rinse the potatoes in cold water until cool enough to handle. At this point, you can use paper towels to pull the peels right off. So much easier than peeling!

A close up image of the creamy dressing in a small glass bowl.

Potato Salad Dressing

The dressing is what really sets this apart as Old Fashioned Potato Salad. It consists of mayonnaise (the real stuff), a little yellow mustard (not too much!), sweet pickle relish, celery salt, a little regular salt, and fresh ground pepper. That golden hue you see in the image above is exactly what you want.

One of the areas I’ve strayed from Barb’s recipe is the sweet pickle relish. She adds an entire jar! I get that not all of you are as crazy about sweet pickles as we are so I’ve used just 3 tablespoons here which adds a mild, but not overwhelming sweetness to the salad. If you are not a fan, you can substitute dill pickle relish, but for me, it’s got to be sweet!

An in process image showing the chopped hard boiled eggs added to the salad mixture in a glass bowl.

The chopped, hard-boiled eggs are added last and lightly tossed with the dressed salad.

Take a look at my detailed instructions for Perfect Easy to Peel Hard-Boiled Eggs and be sure to plan ahead so they’ll be ready to go.

A spoon scoops some of the potato salad from the glass bowl.

Sprinkle it with a little paprika and refrigerate it for at least an hour to be sure it’s nice and chilled.

Be sure to check out the recipe card below for some variations on this recipe. It’s fun to mix things up a little!

More summer salad recipes:

Cowboy Pasta Salad | Belly Full
Cranberry Apple Coleslaw | Barefeet in the Kitchen
Homemade Three Bean Salad | Valerie’s Kitchen
Creamy Pecan Crunch Grape Salad | Wishes and Dishes
Pizza Pasta Salad | Valerie’s Kitchen


A spoon lifts Potato Salad from a bowl.

Old Fashioned Potato Salad

 This Old Fashioned Potato Salad recipe is my version of the classic American potluck dish. Tender potatoes with a creamy, perfectly seasoned dressing. This fail-proof recipe is one of my old favorites!
4.28 from 25 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 10
Calories: 384kcal
Author: Valerie Brunmeier

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
  • 3/4 cup diced white onion
  • 2 stalks celery diced
  • 4 hard-boiled eggs diced

For the Dressing

  • 1-1/2 cups mayonnaise
  • 3 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
  • 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • paprika for garnish

Instructions

  • Add unpeeled potatoes to a deep pot that has a cover. Add enough water to cover the potatoes and place over HIGH heat. Bring water to a boil, reduce heat to MEDIUM, cover the pot and cook at a low boil for 20 to 25 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a sharp knife. Drain and immediately rinse potatoes with cold water until cool enough to handle. Use paper towels to pull the peels off the potatoes and chop into small pieces.
  • Combine chopped potatoes, diced onion, and diced celery in a large mixing bowl. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and toss to combine.
  • In a small mixing bowl combine mayonnaise, mustard, celery salt, pepper, and pickle relish. Add to potato mixture and gently stir to combine. Fold in chopped hard-boiled eggs. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if needed.
  • Sprinkle with paprika, cover and refrigerate for at least an hour or more.

Notes

For the best flavor I don't recommend using light mayonnaise for this recipe. Use traditional mayo or the canola oil version is wonderful.
You can make this the night before but be aware that the dressing tends to be absorbed as the potato salad hangs out in the fridge so if you want it really creamy, you can reserve a small portion of the dressing to stir in just before serving.
Variations:
Don't like sweet pickles? Substitute dill pickle relish. If you really love sweet pickles (like me!) try adding more relish, to taste. My sister, Barb, adds an entire jar!
If you have fresh herbs on hand they are delicious in potato salad! Try adding a few pinches of any of the following - dill, chives, basil, or parsley.
Try substituting Dijon or whole grain mustard for the yellow mustard for a different flavor profile.
Every now and then Barb would add green peas! Try stirring in a cup of thawed (previously frozen) green peas. It may sound odd but it adds some nice color contrast and texture to the salad. Be like Barb.

Nutrition

Calories: 384kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 346mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g
LOVE MY RECIPES? GET THE COOKBOOK!
The Foolproof Family Slow Cooker and Other One-Pot Solutions

A two image vertical collage of Old Fashioned Potato Salad with overlay text.

Valerie’s Kitchen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. 

Categories: Fourth of July, Holidays, Potatoes, Recipe, Salad, Side Dish

< Previous
Next >

You May Also Like...

Baked Beans from Scratch Baked Beans from Scratch
A spoon lifts mashed potatoes from a baking dish. Cheesy Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes
A bowl of asian pasta salad. Asian Pasta Salad
A bowl of potato salad topped with bacon and cheese. Loaded Baked Potato Salad

Reader Interactions

Latest Comments
Skip to Comment Form
  1. Gary Brooks says

    August 5, 2020 at 6:35 pm

    5 stars
    Excellent simple recipe. My mom always made good potato salad and she is gone now and I was hankering for some good old fashion potato salad. This recipe was it exactly like she used to make loved it.

    Reply
  2. Shannon says

    July 10, 2020 at 2:50 pm

    5 stars
    I was looking for an old fashioned simple potato salad recipe and this was IT! My husband is very picky and he absolutely loves this. Simple ingredients, easy recipe and it was delicious! Nothing else needed!

    Reply
    • Valerie says

      July 10, 2020 at 4:41 pm

      Fantastic! So glad it worked out for you. Thanks so much for your comment, Shannon 🙂

      Reply
  3. Jean Dupont says

    June 18, 2020 at 1:51 pm

    I use Miracle Whip because, for me, it has more flavor than bland mayo; also add celery seed along with diced celery, sugar & chopped green onions. After cutting potatoes in chunks and still warm, my mother-in-law would toss the potatoes with a few squirts of Wishbone (or other brands) Italian Dressing.

    Reply
  4. Marla says

    September 13, 2019 at 9:16 am

    I forgot too add to my comment of the sugar.
    For presentation looks. Sprinkle fresh chopped basil leave in a pattern of your choice on top. The nice green fresh look add to it.

    Reply
  5. Marla says

    September 13, 2019 at 9:12 am

    If you don’t like relish. Just a couple pinches of sugar works great.

    Reply
  6. Linda Viola says

    July 10, 2019 at 7:15 pm

    I like to add a couple of tbsps of horseradish to my Potato Salad. It gives a nice little tang,

    Reply
  7. Teresa Turner says

    July 3, 2019 at 5:37 pm

    Diced black olives!! Pimento!!

    Reply
« Older Comments

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Recipe Rating




Stay Connected with Valerie’s Kitchen

Facebook
Pinterest
Instagram
Twitter
YouTube
BlogLovin'
RSS

Stay updated!

Subscribe by Email

Get the latest straight from my kitchen to your email inbox. You can choose to receive an email every time a new recipe is published or a weekly summary.

Click to Subscribe

Primary Sidebar

Browse the Recipes

by Category
CP Slow Cooker OP One Pot 30 30 Minute Meals SD Side Dish S Dessert H Holidays A Appetizers MD Main Dish
Valerie Brunmeier, founder and author of Valerie's Kitchen

MeetValerie Brunmeier

Hello and welcome to my online kitchen! My focus here is to provide simple, seasonal meal solutions for busy households. I hope you find some inspiration while you’re here and visit again soon!

...
More About Me

Looking for something?

Archives

Categories

Spring Favorites

A side view of the Lemon Raspberry Bundt Cake with a slice missing revealing the center.
A Napa Almond Chicken Salad Sandwich sliced in half and stacked on a plate with grapes.
A mug filled with ham and bean soup.
Cheesecake bars with blueberries stacked on a plate.
A glazed cookie stacked on top of another with a bite missing.
A skillet filled with a creamy sauce and slices of cooked chicken.
A skillet filled with orzo, chicken, grape tomatoes, and slices of lemon.
Slices of frosted Carrot Zucchini Bread on a white platter.

Mexican Favorites

A closeup of a carnitas taco.
A skillet filled with Mexican rice, cilantro and slices of lime.
A spatula lifts a piece of casserole from a baking dish.
A smothered burrito topped with sour cream on a plate with rice.
A small white bowl filled with tomatillo avocado salsa.
A white serving plate with two Chipotle Pork Street Tacos with halved avocados in the background.
A skillet filled with white rice, cilantro and lime slices.
Crock-Pot Chicken Tacos

Reader Favorites

A white serving dish filled with shredded beef, carrots, and potatoes.
A white bowl filed with crab dip with a spoon.
A spatula scoops up a zucchini boat from a casserole dish.
Blackened Mahi Mahi
A close up of a cheesesteak sandwich with peppers and onions.
Slow Cooker Beef Tips with Gravey
As Featured On
Back to Top
  • Home
  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Collaborate
  • Contact
Facebook
Pinterest
Instagram
Twitter
YouTube
BlogLovin'
RSS
Valerie's Kitchen
Copyright © 2011–2021 · Valerie's Kitchen

Valerie's Kitchen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.