My mom was the queen of summer side dishes. Her macaroni salads were always a crowd favorite but what people came back for most, was her potato salad. To this day when I make potato salad, people ask “is this your mom’s recipe?” It’s just that good. And the best part? It’s the easiest potato salad I have ever made. Nothing fancy here, just completely deliciousness. The key to my mom’s potato salad dressing is, wait for it, sweetened condensed milk. I know, it sounds strange, but believe me when I tell you that it is absolutely revolutionary. The condensed milk of course adds sweetness to the dressing but it also adds insane creaminess and this lushness that can only be found in a can of condensed milk.
How to make potato salad
Potato salad is probably one of the easiest side dishes you could make but there are still a few tips and tricks I’ve picked up along the way. Number one, boil your potatoes whole with their skins on. I’ve tried peeling and chopping the potatoes before boiling and boiling them whole but peeled but boiling them whole with their skins on results in perfectly al dente potatoes with no wateriness or flouriness. I let the potatoes cool down to a warm room temp before peeling the skins and cutting them. The second tip is to pour the dressing over the potatoes while they are still a little warm. This way they suck up the dressing and absorb the flavor. It’s also important to over-season the dressing. The dressing needs to be a little too sharp, a little too sweet and a a little too salty because the potatoes themselves are like bland little sponges just waiting for the dressing. And because you have such a lovely blank canvas with the creamiest dressing (ever), you can jazz it up with all kinds of other delicious things if you so please. I only add spring (green) onion and parsley but you could add crispy bacon bits, chopped boiled egg and any other herbs you wish. I love it most in its simplest form but I know many people don’t consider potato salad potato salad if it doesn’t have boiled eggs in it.
Easy summer sides
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