OT: can you freeze potato salad?

[gk90]

I mean, what will it be like if it's frozen and then defrosted? We have 2 lbs (from a 4 lb tub) and a friend gave us another 2 lbs...I hate to throw it away and it doesn't go too fast around here since I'm the only one who really likes it, DH and the kids just tolerate it.

Thanks!

 

[packofjedis]

I've never actually tried it, but I think potatoes go weird when frozen - like they start to break down.

Worst case, try it and see what happens.

 

[Local_Girl]

Not a good idea. The mayo tends to break down, and apparently the potatoes can get gritty or soggy too. Sorry...maybe you could share with another friend?

 

[pearlieq]

While it technically would be edible, I doubt you'd enjoy the results.

The potatoes will get gritty and watery when they thaw and the mayo will separate and then mix with the potato water. Not appealing at all.

 

[Del]

Gross...

 

[pearlieq]

I've got a pretty tedious day at work today, so I got to thinking about the great potato salad dilemma.

Potato salad is usually 90% potatoes and mayo. So, maybe it could be repurposed with something that also works with those ingredients.

A couple of ideas:

1.) Potato croquettes. You could start with cold potato salad, and stir in about 1 T flour or dried potato flakes for every 1/2 cup of potato salad. Form into 1/2 cup patties and coat them with seasonsed breadcrumbs. Fry in oil until golden brown and heated through and serve as a side dish.

2.) Potato fish cakes. Same as above, but add in drained canned tuna or salmon.

3.) Chicken or Tuna casserole. Most casseroles use mayo as a base or binding agent anyway. I bet you could mix cooked chicken or tuna, potato salad, and veggies of your choice into a casserole. You could even add another starch if you'd like. You'll have to eyeball it to make sure the consistency is right (you might need to add milk or cream soup if it's not quite creamy enough) but I bet it would work. Sprinkle some cheese on top, and you might be very impressed!

Of course, for this to work you need to be a fairly experienced cook who understands basic cooking concepts and can tweak recipes to make them work.

Also, if the potato salad has strong herbs or add-ins like eggs it might not be so versatile.

Good luck!

 

[gk90]

Aha! Thanks pearlieq, I'm glad that your tedious workday set you thinking! I hadn't thought about cooking with the stuff--I've made potato croquettes from scratch before, and the kids love potato pancakes. A friend used to make a delicious potato-dill soup and I probably have that recipe somewhere. A friend from Spain makes a great "tortilla espanola", a potato & egg omelet--that might work too. I love tweaking and adapting recipes, and the weather looks relatively cool enough the next few days to work in a kitchen with no airconditioning.

I just looked up recipes for mayo from scratch and was amazed at the amount of oil called for! On the other hand the oil and eggs are part of the Spanish potato omelet anyway, so that looks like a strong candidate now.