Today, I'd like to share my best homemade potato salad recipe with you. BUT! You must promise not to share it with anyone else because it's a family secret and has been served by my family members for four generations.
I can only assume this would be classified as German Potato Salad, as it originated with my great grandmother who was German. Personally, I'm not all that crazy for Bavarian foods. Can't stand the taste of sauerkraut, not a big fan of beer (although I do enjoy one on a hot summer day), and absolutely refuse to eat rabbit, deer or boar. However, I do enjoy potato pancakes, dumplings and Spätzle; a German delicacy consisting of tiny noodles or dumplings made of flour, eggs, water or milk, salt and occasionally nutmeg.
The following homemade potato salad recipe can be adapted to suit your taste buds. I rarely measure ingredients, so you might need to tweak this a bit to obtain the consistency you prefer. I like thick potato salad, while others prefer it to be a bit lighter. If you prefer the lighter taste, simply reduce the amount of mayonnaise and mustard by half.
Best Homemade Potato Salad Recipe
Serves 6
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15-18 minutes
Chill Time: 2 hours, minimum
Ingredients:
6 medium Idaho potatoes (you can use any type of potato you prefer including Yukon Gold or Red)
4 slices thick-cut Bacon, diced
1/4 medium Yellow onion, diced (you can use White Onions or Scallions if you prefer)
1 Tablespoon Sweet Pickle Relish
1 Tablespoon Sugar
1-2 Tablespoons Mayonnaise (I prefer Duke's because it is super thick - Yum!)
1-2 Tablespoons Yellow Mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon Paprika, optional
2 hard boiled eggs, optional
Directions:
Wash potatoes and cut into bite size cubes. If you prefer, you can remove the peel. Obviously, you would want to do this before cutting the potatoes into cubes.
Place potatoes in a 2-quart saucepan. Cover with water. Add a pinch of salt if desired. Bring potatoes to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium-low heat. Cook potatoes until they are fork tender -- meaning, when you are able to stick a fork in them with ease, they are done.
While the potatoes are cooking, you can begin preparing the bacon. Stack slices of bacon on top of one another. Cut in half and stack. Then cut slices in half lengthwise. Next, cut slices approximately 1/2-inch in width. Separate and place in small skillet. Over medium-high heat, cook bacon until crispy. If you prefer, you can fry bacon slices whole, then break them into small pieces afterwards.
If using boiled eggs, you will want to boil them at this time. Simply wash the eggs off, then place in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring water to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook eggs for about 15 minutes. Drain the water and place eggs in the refrigerator to cool.
When potatoes are done, drain them in a colander and rinse with cold water. This will stop the cooking process and ensure the potatoes don't get smushy. Transfer potatoes into a mixing bowl and place in refrigerator for 15-30 minutes. Cooling the potatoes will help prevent them from breaking down when you mix the remaining ingredients with them.
Remove cooked bacon from skillet and place on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb grease. Retain the bacon grease in the skillet.
Once potatoes are chilled, add the bacon, along with 1 teaspoon of bacon grease, diced onions, sweet pickle relish, sugar, mayo, mustard, salt and pepper. Thoroughly mix all ingredients together.
If desired, sprinkle paprika on top of potato salad and top with sliced boiled egg. Chill for at least 2 hours. To create the look below, use two egg slices for the eyes, then cut the remaining slices in half and place around the edges, one half above each "eye" and four half slices to create the "smile". Use the bottom portion of the egg to create the "nose." Enjoy!
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