Description
Nan’s Classic Mustard Potato Salad is a creamy, tangy, and satisfyingly chunky dish perfect for large gatherings. This traditional recipe combines tender russet potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, sweet onions, celery, and dill pickles, all coated in a rich mustard and mayonnaise dressing with a hint of sweetness from sugar. Letting the salad chill for several hours allows the flavors to meld beautifully, making it an ideal make-ahead side for picnics, barbecues, and potlucks.
Ingredients
Scale
Potatoes and Eggs
- 8 cups russet potatoes, cooked, peeled, then diced (about 10-12 medium potatoes)
- 6 eggs, hard boiled and finely crumbled
Vegetables and Pickles
- 2 cups sweet onions, very finely diced
- 1 cup celery, peeled and very finely diced
- 3/4 cup dill pickle, very finely diced
Dressing
- 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise (Miracle Whip or regular mayo)
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 1/4 cup pickle juice
- 1/4 cup cream (half and half preferred)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
- 2 tablespoons sugar
Instructions
- Boil potatoes and eggs: Place the potatoes with their peels and whole eggs in a pot of boiling water. Cook to ensure potatoes are fork tender and eggs are hard boiled.
- Remove eggs and potatoes: After 10 minutes, carefully remove the eggs. Continue boiling the potatoes until just tender. Drain the potatoes thoroughly.
- Cool completely: Let both the eggs and potatoes cool down to room temperature to make handling easier.
- Refrigerate eggs and potatoes: Peel the eggs and potatoes, then refrigerate them whole until they are cold. This step helps the potatoes hold their shape when diced.
- Dice potatoes: Cut the cold potatoes into uniform 1/4 to 3/8 inch cubes for the perfect texture.
- Combine base ingredients: Place the diced potatoes into a large container with a lid. Crumble the hard-boiled eggs by hand and add them to the potatoes.
- Finely chop vegetables and pickles: Dice the onions, celery, and dill pickles very finely, approximately the size of dill relish.
- Add vegetables to potato mixture: Mix the finely diced onions, celery, and pickles with the potatoes and eggs. Stir gently to distribute evenly.
- Prepare dressing: In a separate bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, yellow mustard, pickle juice, cream, kosher salt, white pepper, and sugar until smooth and creamy.
- Combine all components: Pour the dressing over the potato mixture. Stir gently until all dry ingredients are coated in the creamy dressing.
- Chill the salad: Cover and refrigerate the potato salad for at least 4 hours to let the flavors meld. For best results, chill for 6-8 hours.
- Optional garnish: Before serving, sprinkle a little sweet paprika on top to add a pop of color and subtle flavor.
Notes
- Boiling the potatoes with the skins on helps preserve their texture and prevents them from becoming mushy.
- Cooling and refrigerating the potatoes before dicing ensures clean cuts and prevents them from breaking apart.
- Using pickle juice in the dressing adds a tangy depth and enhances flavor complexity.
- Adjust the sugar amount if you prefer a less sweet or more balanced dressing.
- This salad benefits from sitting overnight, making it a great make-ahead dish.
- For a lighter version, you can substitute half of the mayonnaise with Greek yogurt.
- Sprinkling paprika is optional but adds nice visual appeal and slight smoky notes.
