Need holiday help PLEASE!

[issa]

I am in trouble, and I am turning to all you dis'ers for help!

My mother -in law has asked me to make potatoe salad for thanksgiving (as well as several other things-but i can handle those)

I havent made potatoe salad really..used to help my mom but thats it..and further more my father in law makes an excellent salad but the MIL wants to compare ( sheeeshhh) saying shes dying to try mine and doesnt want FIL to make it...EVERYONE will eat mine.

LOL so what I need help with is any of your absolute greatess potatoe salad recipes..how do I make this stuff!?!? Any tips or tricks...I dont want to fall flat on my face with a mediocere salad on thanksgiving!

please please please help me...please!!!

thank you thank you thank you

 

[annemariec]

My grandmother made the very best potato salad in the whole world. I found a recipie that sounds very close. The secret is using Miracle Whip instead of Mayo. Trust me on that one.
Another tip is to make it at least a day in advance. This gives the flavors a chance to meld together. Everyone says potato salad tastes better the second day.


Choice Potato Salad
6-8 med. potatoes, pealed and quartered
1 large onion, chopped
2 Tablespoons fresh parsley [optional]
1 stalk celery, chopped
1/2 green pepper [chopped fine]
3 hard boiled eggs [chopped]
1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder [optional]
2 teaspoons prepared (table) mustard
1/2 cup Miracle Whip
2 Tablespoon vinegar
2 teaspoon celery seed [optional]
1 to 2 teaspoons salt to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Boil potatoes until done, about 20 minutes. Drain. Place potatoes and remaining ingredients in mixing bowl. Mix well. Chill and serve.

I don't know how many you are serving, so you may need to double it. Potato salad is like the second favorite thing at our Thanksgiving table, so it goes quick. You probably can't make too much. It's nice to have left overs too.

Here are some other sites I came up with for you, in case you are feeling adventurous (I would probably stick to the one above myself):

http://southernfood.about.com/library/weekly/aa062400b.htm?iam=dpile&terms=potato+salad+recipies

http://www.panix.com/~donwiss/potato/
recipies for potato salad are towards the bottom of the page.

Good Luck!!
Annemarie

 

[MerryPoppins]

Here is my grandmother's recipe. (She used to be in charge of a large school kitchen in the days when they made home-made cinnamon rolls for the kids, etc. Everyone bragged on her potato salad!) It is the chunky kind of salad, not the mashed potato variety. Sorry there are no measurements. Just add ingredients until it looks right.

Boil potatoes. Boil eggs. Put aside to cool. Mix mayo, mustard, pickle relish, and chopped green onions. Be generous with the mayo and mustard so it won't be too dry.

Peel the potatoes and cut into chunks. Peel the eggs and slice some for garnishing the top. Chop the rest and add to the potatoes. Stir in the mayo mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste. It IS always better after it has had a chance for the flavors to blend. A little crumbled bacon would be good, too.

Good luck.

 

[piratesmate]

I don't have any measurements either, sorry. My recipe does look similar to annemarie's, though. We also use Miracle Whip instead of mayo - I was an adult before I realized it WASN'T mayo! ROFL

Anyway, another secret to Mom's/Gram's is to boil the eggs & potatoes together. I don't really know why it makes a difference in the taste, but it does.

Also, I use celery salt (well, ground celery seed) instead of the actual seed. My recipe calls for a little sugar to offset the vinegar. (The PA Dutch are big on sweet/sour stuff.) I usually use a package of Equal instead.

Oh - and I cut the potatoes into "chunks" - not as big as quartered, but definitely not mashed.

Good luck!

 

[annemariec]

I meant to tell you, I never actually had my hands on my grandmother's recipie. If I did, I would share it with you. My mom has told me verbally on many occasions. I always say, "Write it down for me.... I'll never remember all that!" She'll then say, "Oh, it's not that much to it..." And proceeds to finish listing all the ingredients and all the steps. It drives me nuts! She does it with all the dishes I compliment her on! It's just something that I grin and bear now. (I'm sure I have my moments for her too.) Once she's on a roll, there's nothing I can say. I love my mom dearly. It's just a funny little thing we do. (I don't think I have any written recipies from her!)

I'll try to remember to ask mom about the recipie. (I'll be sure to have a pen handy!) Seems like the pickle relish is an important ingredient I left out. Thanks MerryPoppins! Chunking is key too as MerryPoppins and piratesmate said. If the potatos are cut too small it isn't as good. And I don't think my grandmother used the parsley or the garlic powder --- it was optional in the recipie, so I left it in.

Piratesmate, my mom didn't know about the Miracle Whip either! She would make the potato salad and everyone would say it's good, but it doesn't taste like Frannies. Finally one of those times, mom ran down her list with my grandmother and she told her the secret.

I think it's important that the potato salad isn't too dry too, MerryPoppins. Just add the Miracle Whip & mustard little at a time. You don't want it to get soupy! Word to the wise.

Annemarie

 

[issa]

Thank you all so much.

you really came through for me!! I feel much better about doing this. I went out and bought all the ingrediants and will be trying this all out on tuesday night.


thank you, thank you , thank you, THANK YOU!!!

I'll let you know how it comes out!

btw - thank you!

 

[annemariec]

How'd it go Issa?? Hope it went fine. I was thinking of you!

Take care,
Annemarie

 

[issa]

Kinda had a family catastrophe here !!! EKKKK!

but all is well...I will probrably start it in the AM now..sigh

Thanks for checking up on me
I'll keep you posted

 

[chessie]

I think that the secret is to use Miracle Whip instead of mayonnaise as the dressing. I don't make great potato salad but my Mom does.

My potatoes never come out right.


chessie

 

[issa]

Boiling the potatoes now.....

how do I know there done for potatoe salad?
I have always checked by being able to peirce it easliy with a fork..but for the salad I am not quite sure when done is done.I dont want them to over cook and get too soft like for mashed potatoes....


eeek the stress ROFL!

( my husband does NOT understand why all this fuss over potatoe salad....he say..its just my mother!!!!!!

JUST HIS MOTHER!....he has no idea ROFL!!

 

[piratesmate]

Sorry - I was off-line & didn't see this in time. For future reference . . . think about the consistency of the potatoes in potato salad. They're a little firmer than, say, baked potatoes would be. . . so they should stick a LITTLE firmer than a baked one will. Something else I've done is fish out one piece (assuming they're all similar in size), run cool water over it & cut off a piece to test it.

I was trying to think how I knew they were done the first time I made it . . . I'm assuming that I just figured the potatoes were done when the eggs were done. (I hard boil the eggs in the same pot.) Put in cold water, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low & simmer 20 minutes. Drain & rinse with cold water.

How did it turn out???

d

 

[annemariec]

Hope the potatos turned out. Piratesmate gave you good advice. A little firmer is better. Nothing worse than mushed potato salad. I went over my mom's house this morning and felt yucky. I put together those ingredients for the "Pumpkin Job" and laid on the sofa, sneezing and carrying on. Mom was cooking. DS and her family were up from SC and she was cooking with mom. So I didn't follow up on the potato salad recipie. I figured you had already made it. That recipie combined with others should do you fine. Hope it did!

Hope I'm not sick for Thanksgiving. That would be a bummer. Maybe it's just a runny nose. Being around all those onions that were being cooked and cut made my nose run more and eyes sting and feel tired.

Anyways, keep us posted!!

Happy Turkey Day!!

Annemarie

 

[beccab]

Think I'll try it the next potato salad batch I make. I have always used Hellmans as DH is a Hellmans only guy. I never thought the type of "mayo" would matter.

Piratesmate I also cook my eggs with the potatos but I was just being frugal & not heating up two burners.

 

[Olaf]

When I need a potato salad, I go to Sam's and buy theirs. I add chopped hard-cooked eggs, yellow mustard, and chopped sweet pickles. I always get loads of compliments on this particular salad, and it's very easy.

 

[MerryPoppins]

Personally, I don't like Miracle Whip in my potato salad. It is too sweet for my taste. Guess it depends on what you grew up with.

 

[issa]

Thanksgiving went wonderfully!

FIL declared the salad was better than his at the frist bite! The potatoe salad was a big hit! everyone loved it and I felt really good about it . I want to thank you all who posted and gave recipes and tips, what a diffrence it made.

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU

 

[piratesmate]

Oh Issa - I'm so glad that everything worked out for you!!!!

I love this board - everyone here is so helpful and thoughtful.

 

[annemariec]

Glad the potato salad worked out! I was wondering about it yesterday while we were eating.
I found out yesterday, the Miracle Whip is my Aunt's secret. My grandmother's is Hellman's mayo! Oops! Oh well, both are terrific in their own way. (Noboby writes a thing down in my family!)

Real glad it all worked out for you, Issa!

Take care,
Annemarie