Name: All-American Potato Salad with Eggs and Sweet Pickles
Total time: 1 h
Ingredients: 2 pounds Red Bliss potato or new potatoes, boiled, peeled if desired, and cut into 3/4-inch cubes; 1/4 cup red wine vinegar; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper; 3 hard-boiled eggs , peeled and cut into small dice; 2 tablespoons red onion , chopped; 1 small celery stalk , cut into small dice (about 1/2 cup); 1/4 cup finely chopped sweet pickle (not relish); 1/2 cup mayonnaise; 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard; 1/4 cup fresh minced parsley

Why This Recipe Works

Few salads make a splash at potlucks or picnics the way potato salad does—this classic, all-American side always seems to disappear first. We wanted a recipe for a traditional, creamy (read: mayonnaise-based) potato salad that looked good—no mushy, sloppy spuds—and tasted even better.

We began by choosing red potatoes. The skin adds color to a typically monochromatic salad. We boiled them whole for best flavor and then used a serrated knife to cut the potatoes into fork-friendly chunks—the serrated edge helps prevent the skins from tearing for a nicer presentation. While the potatoes were still warm, we drizzled them with vinegar and added a sprinkle of salt and pepper; this preseasoning gave the finished salad more flavor. When the potatoes were cool, we folded in the final traditional touches—mayonnaise, pickles, and red onion—for a perfect potluck potato salad, with a creamy dressing and firm bites of potato.

Instructions

for the potatoes

Place potatoes in a 4- to 6-quart pot; cover with water. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer, stirring once or twice to ensure even cooking, until a thin-bladed paring knife or a metal cake tester inserted into the potato can be removed with no resistance (25 to 30 minutes for medium potatoes and 15 to 20 minutes for new potatoes). Drain; cool potatoes slightly and peel if you like. Cut potatoes (use a serrated knife if they have skins) into 3/4-inch cubes while still warm, rinsing knife occasionally in warm water to remove gumminess.

Layer warm potato cubes in medium bowl; sprinkle with vinegar, salt, and pepper as you go. Refrigerate while preparing remaining ingredients.

Mix in remaining ingredients; refrigerate until ready to serve.