Real Recipes From Real Home Cooks ®

mom's potato salad

Recipe by
Patricia J.
Lawson, MO

Mom created this recipe over 60 years ago and we grew up eating it. It's on its fifth generation. Mom never wrote the recipe down, putting the ingredients in till it tasted right. Everyone wanted the recipe and Mom would tell them the ingredients, but couldn't tell them the exact amount. She'd get phone calls from the other ladies in town, asking her to stop by, because they were trying to make her potato salad, but it didn't taste quite right. Finally Mom measured all the ingredients out! Everybody, including Mom, was much happier. Not like any potato salad I've ever tasted. Tasty!

yield 18 serving(s)
method Stove Top

Ingredients For mom's potato salad

  • 6 lb
    red potatoes
  • 1 Tbsp
    salt
  • water to cover
  • 12 lg
    eggs, hard boiled
  • 1 qt
    diced onions
  • DRESSING:
  • 4 c
    miracle whip (do not substitute)
  • 1 Tbsp
    yellow mustard
  • 1/2 tsp
    ground white pepper
  • 1 1/2 c
    white sugar (this amount is correct)
  • 1 tsp
    salt
  • 1/4 c
    apple cider vinegar

How To Make mom's potato salad

  • 1
    TWO DAYS BEFORE YOU ARE SERVING POTATO SALAD:
  • 2
    Stir together all the ingredients for the dressing until thoroughly blended. Place in a container with a lid and store in refrigerator (this allows the sugar time to dissolve).
  • 3
    THE DAY BEFORE YOU ARE SERVING THE POTATO SALAD:
  • 4
    Place potatoes in large pot, sprinkle with salt, and cover with water. Boil potatoes till they are cooked through. Cool slightly, until you can handle them comfortably without burning your hand (it helps to drain the hot water off and refill the pan with cold water). Remove potatoes skins while warm.
  • 5
    Hard boil eggs and peel.
  • 6
    Slice the potatoes, eggs and onions into 1/2 inch slices, then dice them into 1/2-inch cubes. If you have a Vidalia onion dicer or other vegetable dicer, it will really take the work out of this step.
  • 7
    Place the potatoes, eggs and the onions in a large bowl.
  • 8
    Pour the dressing over this and using a wooden spoon or large spatula mix together.
  • 9
    Keep in a covered container in the refrigerator overnight to allow potato salad to mellow and flavor to go through.
  • 10
    Before serving sprinkle lightly with paprika.
  • 11
    This recipe halves easily.
  • 12
    Occasionally I will peel a cucumber, quarter it lengthwise, dice it into cubes and stir it into the potato salad (2 cucumbers for the whole recipe and 1 for a half recipe). Use more if you'd like and to your taste.
  • 13
    It is important that the potato salad is made the day before so that the flavor can go through it.
  • 14
    Will keep in your refrigerator for five days (its never lasted that long in this house)!

Categories & Tags for Mom's Potato Salad:

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