Hope you enjoyed my drop zone reveal last post! However, somehow it’s now May 31st?! I have no idea how that happened! Summer is basically here and today is Memorial Day … oh, and it’s my birthday too! We arrived in Montana yesterday and are ready for some down time this week … so I thought I’d share with you a Memorial Day weekend picnic favorite … my Grandma’s world-famous potato salad … at least world-famous to me! Mmmmm!
Memorial Day weekend is special. We remember those who gave their lives for our freedom. It’s very important to remember since what we have didn’t come freely. It came at the cost of the life of many Americans and I find it hard to fathom the bravery it took. So, we remember and we are thankful!
Memorial Day growing up
Growing up, I would always go with my grandmother to a local cemetery where they had a memorial for those who gave their lives for our great country. We’d also visit family graves and put on some fresh flowers. I didn’t appreciate this time with my grandma as much as I should have, but I’m glad I always got up early and went with her. She passed in September of 2011 and this is the last photo I have with her. I’ll forever cherish it!
The arrival of Memorial Day also makes me think of summer. It sure seems like the unofficial kickoff to summer with cookouts and extra family time … it’s also close to my birthday (and sometimes on my birthday, like this year!). So, with cookouts in mind I wanted to pass along my grandma’s world-famous potato salad. It’s a simple recipe, but oh so yummy!
The ingredients
- 5 lb Red potatoes
- 8-10 hard-boiled eggs
- 1 c. sliced Celery (optional)
- ½ c. diced Onion (optional)
- 1 c. diced Pickles
- 2 tbs Mustard
- 3 tbs Miracle Whip
- 3-5 tbs Mayonnaise (your favorite kind will do!)
- Salt
- Pepper
- Paprika
- Dill Weed (optional)
Gather Ingredients
Before I being any recipe, I always lay out my ingredients. That way, if I’m missing anything I find out BEFORE I get started. It’s much better than finding out in the middle of a yummy recipe! By the way, this recipe will feed 12-14 people.
Boil the potatoes
Now that you have your ingredients, you’ll start with the red potatoes. Place them in a pot, fill with water and some salt, and boil on the stove. You’ll know they are done when a fork goes easily inside. During this time, it’s also good to hard-boil your eggs.
Hard-boil those eggs!
My grandmother would always boil her eggs on the stove for about 20 minutes … but, with new tools available to me, I find the Instapot a perfect way to hard-boil my eggs. I just pop them inside the Instapot with a bit of water for 5 minutes and they are perfectly done! Just make sure to get them out of the Instapot immediately and into some cold water, to stop them from cooking. As a bonus, they will peel super easily!
With the potatoes boiled soft, remove them from the stove and take the pot to your sink and empty out the hot water. I always run some cold water over the potatoes to help them cool down faster. Once they are cool enough to touch, you can start peeling them.
Lots of peeling and cutting!
I grab a knife and peel the potatoes. The peel comes off rather easily, it just takes a bit of time to get them all peeled. Now that the potatoes are all peeled, but them up into chunks in a large bowl.
Do the same for the eggs. Peel them and cut them into small chunks into the same large bowl as the potatoes.
Pickles, onion and celery
Next, cut up your pickles, onion and celery. As a kid, I didn’t care for the onion and celery in my potato salad .. as I didn’t care for the crunch, but my grandma always said it was the crunch that made the potato salad. So, do what you prefer, but she says add them!
Add your pickles, onion and celery to the bowl with the potatoes and eggs … now it’s time for the glue!
The special mixture
In a separate bowl, mix your mustard, Miracle Whip and Mayonnaise. I prefer premixing it to get an even mix … as opposed to throwing it in the bowl with everything and just stirring. Also, you can throw a little pickle juice in this mixture in addition to the Paprika, salt, pepper and dill weed. I didn’t add dill weed this go-around, but it does add a bit of flavor!
Scoop the mayo mixture into the bowl with the potatoes and eggs and mix well. Top with more paprika and chill a couple hours in the fridge…the colder the better!
Time for a picnic!
I remember many times growing up, we’d do a Memorial Day picnic on my Grandma’s property or up at a place called Crystal Lake. The weather was always nice and perfect … but the horseflies would drive us nuts! Regardless of the buggy company, I always remember the potato salad as one of my favorite parts!
Now make yourself some sandwiches, toss in some veggies and go on a picnic … don’t forget the potato salad! Mmmm. Super yummy! It’s definitely worth trying my Grandma’s world-famous potato salad!
What makes your potato salad super special? Let me know in the comments below!
Be blessed!
