In the summertime, there’s nothing I enjoy more than a hamburger or all beef frank with a side of potato salad for my dinner. So does everyone else, because half the time when I go to the deli and ask for potato salad, they’re sold out.
I get equally bugged when they DO have it—either some of the potatoes are undercooked, or “there’s no onions in this batch, sorry”. And I’m being charged a small fortune for one scoop of the stuff.
If I look up recipes online, I see “Fill a 10 quart pot with water, peel and chop 3-4 pounds of russet potatoes…” NO! I’m just one person!
Here’s mine. Recently I saw a hillbilly woman on Youtube talking about using canned potatoes in place of regular potatoes for her recipes (just rinse ‘em real good first) so that’s what I did here.
Doug’s Easy-Peasy Potato Salad
- 1 15 oz can diced potatoes (The no brand label only cost 79 cents!)
- 2 hard boiled eggs, one chopped, one sliced
- 1/4 cup diced onions, 1/4 cup diced celery
- 1/2 cup Hellmann’s or Duke’s Mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon white sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
1. Drain, rinse canned potatoes under WARM water well, add to large bowl. (If you buy them diced like I did, there’s no chopping!)
2. Add in one chopped hard-boiled egg, diced celery & onion.
3. In a separate bowl, blend together the mayo, vinegar, sugar, salt & pepper. Spoon over your vegs and gently mix together to avoid mashing up the potatoes.
4. Top with sliced hard-boiled egg, cover & chill for an hour.
(UPDATE: This tasted surprisingly better after chilling several more hours.)
You may need to shake a little salt on ‘em before eating, I didn’t want to risk oversalting as it only makes 1 lb. of salad, enough for 2-3 servings.
You could also add some fresh chives or crumbled bacon, I may do that next time; I was just making these the way my mom or grandma did years ago—minus the skinning, chopping & boiling potatoes, of course.
Your salad sounds good... it has everything I put in mine... but I do worry about the canned potatoes both the texture and the flavor. Any canned potatoes I've had were rubbery.
ReplyDeleteThank you Bettina! Growing up, I hated canned potatoes for exactly the reasons you mentioned. (My dad liked & bought them for himself.) These aren't as good as the real thing, I admit--but they're not so bad if you rinse them in very warm water and drain em well. I'd still eat a couple diced ones first just to be sure.
DeleteDoug, this sounds delicious! I haven’t made potato salad in probably twenty years. I love that you put a teaspoon of sugar in, my grandmothers recipe has that in it too.
ReplyDeleteNow I may have to make some!
Take care.❤️❤️
Robin
Thank you Robin, you're sweet too ;^) If you do use canned potatoes though, make sure you rinse & drain them really well to remove that canned taste. Hope all is well with you.
DeleteWhat a tip about the canned potatoes! I'd never thought of that. I enjoy making my late husband's potato salad but it's a lot of work unless I'm having company over. This would be an excellent alternative.
ReplyDeleteThank you Margaret--I never considered them either until I saw that hillbilly woman. I would definitely taste 'em first (after draining & rinsing) just to be sure. :^)
DeleteNow I understand the difference between we Irish and you Americans - tinned potatoes ( sacrilege) and adding eggs -
ReplyDeleteI may have to lie down in a dark room after reading this !
Seriously- looks good and you do well to cook for yourself . I find cooking for one no fun at all - which is why I have gained a million pounds ( is weight sadly , not money ) as I eat Pringles for supper ……..
Siobhan x
Siobhan, you made me chuckle--at the top, at least! I agree that tinned potatoes are sacrilege--but potatoes, eggs, onions & celery is classic American potato salad! As for cooking for oneself, I totally get it, I eat too many hamburgers and crisps. We will both have to do better. :^)
DeleteMy recipe for potato salad starts with me peeling a 5 pound bag of potatoes. . . I love potato salad, my favorite, but usually make macaroni salad (my recipe starts with a 2 pound box of macaroni) because you don't have to peel macaroni.
ReplyDeleteTHANK YOU for this recipe. I only need 2 servings these days and I am very bad about trying to cut down a recipe. This is perfect, having the measurements of ingredients for the 2 servings. I am going to try it with the can of potatoes but I would not mind just peeling two large potatoes all on my own.
Thank you Miss Merry, you always make me smile. Listen I know you're a fine cook, and this may be below your standards. Please make sure you taste the potatoes first. I'm beginning to think the next time I'll use a couple of real potatoes too. 🙂
DeleteMy potato salads are quite different from yours. Here they are…
ReplyDeleteRegular Potato Salad
Cut 2 potatoes into smallish chunks and steam them for 12, 13 minutes (boil them if you prefer).
Prepare the dressing – Dijon mustard, a splash of white balsamic condiment (or vinegar of your choice), pinch of salt. Mix, add extra virgin olive oil and mix again.
Slice a small salad onion very thin
Chop quite a bit of mint.
When the potatoes are done toss into a bowl and pour the dressing over them (the potatoes soak it up when they’re still warm).
Grind some pepper over them (salt too, if you like)
Let them cool a bit, then toss in the onions and mint.
Warm Potato Salad
Cut and cook potatoes as above.
Slice a large onion and fry it.
Slice a couple of rashes of bacon into strips and fry them (same frypan if it’s big enough)
Chop up one or two dill pickles (depends on the size)
Dressing: I use some of the pickle juice instead of vinegar, but that’s not mandatory.
Again, toss the dressing over the hot potatoes
Toss in everything else and serve immediately.
Peter, thank you for sharing. I had to read these a couple times over, they do sound very tasty. I just may have to be a little more Continental. 😎
ReplyDeleteThat looks good I think I’ll try it..never thought of using canned potatoes.. that’s a good idea
ReplyDeleteBeth
Thanks Beth, I hope it turns out well for you, if you do please let me know. 🙂
DeleteIt’s in my refrigerator chilling..I made two different versions..one with hellmans and one with miracle whip..I’ll let you know!
DeleteAmazing! 👏 I bet Miracle Whip wins 🙂
DeleteFor years, I made big batches of potato salad, just like my mom had done. With only three of us, we rarely managed to eat all of it before it turned. I made some this week to accompany our BBQ'd hamburgers last night and my proportions were similar to yours.
ReplyDeleteBut not canned potatoes, just small ones left from the bag. I wash and scrub them well, then cut them in quarters with the skin on. Boil for 12 minutes and allow to sit in a colander to dry out slightly. Add in eggs, onion, and in my case radish. I use a dressing that is similar to yours, with salt and paprika. (The latter being what my mom added). I just had the leftovers for dinner, and it is better on the second day!
Enjoy your batch, it does look delicious!
Maebeme, thank you and also for your own nice story. I really think you've inspired me to make my next batch with some real potatoes. This was okay for a single guy in a pinch, but you have me wanting the real thing.🙂
DeleteDug, DH loves potato salad and I make it, but not often. But I have to say that I would hesitate to use canned potatoes (never liked them). Actually don't use canned anything much (maybe Progresso soup). Years ago my Oncologist said to eat fresh and we have been doing it ever since. (And the Irish in me does love potatoes!) And I'm not much on Mayo (except for Blue Plate - which is a New Orleans brand I think). Tried Duke's once and it was OK, but not the same. If you get a chance sometime, try Blue Plate Mayo. It's really good.
ReplyDeleteRian, I was just getting into bed when your nice comment showed up. I hope you and your eye are feeling okay. Listen I know just what you mean about canned potatoes; I never liked them, never bought them. My dad enjoyed them when I was a kid and I never understood why! But canned potatoes do work for this salad, very well. You just have to rinse them thoroughly with warm water. Thank you for sharing and I will look for the Blue Plate Mayonnaise! I love me some Southern stuff! 😋
DeleteInteresting post and comments, all these different ways to make potato salad. I can't imagine using canned potatoes; I really almost never have canned food around (except garbanzo beans). And I don't peel the potatoes just scrub them really well and cut out any eyes. Usually get the red skinned ones because they look pretty - steamed rather than boiled. And no eggs, don't like hard boiled eggs in much of anything. Chopped spring onion, mainly just the white part, soaked in ice water for 15 or so minutes, then drained and allowed to dry , chopped celery if there is any, sweet pickle relish, Dukes mayo and just a dab of mustard, hardly any. No paprika but a shake or two of celery seed and of course salt and pepper. This is convincing me to make some tomorrow! I wonder if there are any hot dogs in the freezer?
ReplyDeleteCeci
Ceci, thank you for sharing all that, your recipe sounded classy and delicious and I'm anxious to try this again your way! Do love me some eggs though... darn it, now you have me craving hot dogs 🌭 😋
DeleteIt’s interesting to see what people use in cans. By the look of the comments, it’s usually only one or two things.
ReplyDeleteI’m no different. My one canned thing is tomatoes that I use to make pasta sauce in winter when fresh ones aren’t available. Well, they are but they’re brought down from Queensland and aren’t as good as the summer ones grown here in Victoria.
Peter I will put my hand on the Bible and swear that until a week ago I have never bought a can of potatoes my entire life! The only canned goods I buy are Progresso soups, tomatoes like yourself, baked beans. Sometimes green beans. Okay, mustn't forget canned tuna. 🙂
DeleteGreat blog
ReplyDeleteThank you 😊
DeleteHellman’s or Duke’s? Don’t forget some of your followers are out west and we follow your recipe direction to the letter!! 😝
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of mayo (which I love…none of that Miracle Whip crap for me!), I was in a Safeway store nearest to my office last week and noticed an end display stacked with condiments for summer cooking, Heinz Ketchup, French’s Mustard, and Best Foods Mayo nearly stacked to the ceiling. Then I noticed the price sign on the mayo… 32 oz jar for $8.99! What the?! The price gouging is in full force around here!
Best Foods is the, uhm…best mayo available around here. Heinz released a mayo a couple years ago that was top notch, but was sadly discontinued. Guess the mayo market was overcrowded, even though you won’t find a jar of Duke’s around here.
Hi Jase, thanks for writing--you always give me a smile! :^) First of all, I'm so glad someone else remembered Heinz Mayonnaise--I loved it too. Second, Duke's Mayo is pretty new around here, stores just started carrying it in Pittsburgh a year ago. But Hellmann's is just as good (just a little less tart, as Duke's has vinegar) and 'Best Foods' & Hellmann's are the SAME mayonnaise, just different labels for the East & West coasts. So you are good to go, my western Trekker :^)
DeleteGosh, that does sound easy peasy and good, too.
ReplyDeleteThanks DJan, I'll definitely be making it again before summer is over. 🙂
DeleteI just LOVE your recipe and food posts even if I don't eat what you're making. Excellent reading! Enjoyed the comments too.
ReplyDeleteBobi, you sure know how to make my day. Thank you. 🙂
DeleteWhat a beautiful potato salad! I have never heard f canned diced potato, and it's cooked? Wow! That saves a lot of time. I love your recipe.
ReplyDeleteThanks Gigi, yes they're fully cooked but are packed in water and can have a funny texture to them. My dad used to enjoy them when I was a kid but none of us did! But I've learned if you rinse them in warm water really well, they're good potatoes and just right for things like potato salad.
DeleteI admire your gumption to cook for one! Inspiration for that (or for 2 even) isn't easy. Kudos to you! I always enjoy your posts, Dug, and hope you're having more good days than challenging ones health wise. Best to you, Kim in PA
ReplyDeleteGee I just love that word "gumption"--thank you Kim, this was so kind! I do still wrestle with challenging days, I'm sure you do as well and mine pale in comparison. But your thoughtfulness here means a lot.
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