Just in case you don't think there is any rhyme or reason to this dinner blog, here it is: It's a rotating week. Monday Beat the Blues Comfort Food; Tempting Tuesday; Casserole Wednesday; Tasty Thursday; Featured Friday (where I feature a special person and their recipe); Saturday Side Dish; Sunday Soups/Scoops/Specials. Each week I'll be blogging on a different day, so there's something new about every eight days.

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Saturday, June 4, 2011

Potato Salad

It's Saturday Side Dish featuring Potato Salad.

My mother-in-law was noted for two things that she could cook well—potato salad and macaroni and cheese. The potato salad came from her mother. And now that both have passed on, I carry on the tradition. This potato salad is a lot of work. What potato salad isn’t really? Maybe the kind you pick up at the grocery store, but yuck.

I told you about the story when my uncle made me try my aunt’s potato salad. It’s in the first post about Crock Pot Chicken if you’re interested.

My husband thinks this potato salad is the best ever and had me submit it in the local newspaper when they ran a contest. We didn’t win. But here’s the step-by-step directions I turned in. I’m thinking they thought it was too much trouble to make and just skipped it. Maybe they were looking for easy and good. The recipes that won didn’t impress me any, but then I could’ve been a tad on the jealous side. My hubby was disappointed. I clipped out the other recipes and plan to make them, maybe... some day.

Grandma Della Primeau’s Potato Salad
12-15 servings

5 pounds red potatoes
4 stalks celery, diced small
1 tablespoon celery seed
2 small onions, diced small
½ cup sugar
1 ½ - 2 cups Miracle Whip salad dressing
½ pound bacon, diced
3 tablespoons mustard
2 tablespoons sugar
¾ - 1 cup cider vinegar
Salt and pepper
2 hard boiled eggs, sliced
paprika

Boil potatoes with skin in salted water until done. Let cool completely. (Easier if you boil potatoes the day before and cool in refrigerator. Potatoes are easier to peel and slice.)

Peel and slice (do not chunk) potatoes and place in large bowl.

Mix with celery, celery seed, onion, ½ cup sugar and Miracle Whip (start with 1 ½ cups of Miracle Whip) until coated nicely. After the other ingredients [the cooked sauce] are added, then determine if more Miracle Whip is needed. Set aside.

In medium/large skillet, sauté diced bacon until near crisp.

Do not drain grease.

Add 3 TBS mustard and 2 TBS sugar until blended and looks glazy.

Add ¾ c to 1 cup cider vinegar, stirring constantly until well blended.

Pour bacon mixture into the potatoes and fold until well blended.

Add more Miracle Whip if needed and salt and pepper according taste.

Garnish top of potato salad with slices of hard boiled egg and sprinkle with paprika.

****
The last time I made this, I added a few hard boiled eggs chopped up into the potato salad. I also used 1 pound of bacon. I think the original recipe called for ¼ pound bacon and we changed it to ½ pound, but one pound is yummier.

Ingredients:
see above

Rating & Type: NSE/P

4 comments:

  1. Hi Lynn,
    Looks and sounds delicious. Today at a graduation party my sister had a huge bowl of German Potato Salad using a recipe that was my mom's. It is always the hit of the day!
    Donna

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  2. I was thinking German potato salad as well when I read this. Do you serve it warm or cold?

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  3. This potato salad does sound like German potato salad since you cook the dressing part, but it is actually served cold, although my husband likes it room temp. I like it cold.

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  4. Oh, and I'm not a huge fan of German potato salad - at least the kind I remember having as a kid, but I really like this potato salad.

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