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Old-Fashioned Potato Salad

Classic potato salad with creamy dressing, hard-boiled eggs, celery, and sweet pickle relish. Boil-and-cool tender russet potatoes, fold with the egg mixture, then chill for a thick, sliceable picnic salad texture.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
chilling 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 390
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Russet potato base
  • 3 lb russet potatoes Peeled and cubed.
  • 4 hard-boiled eggs Chopped.
  • 0.5 cup celery Diced.
  • 0.25 cup onion Finely diced.
  • 0.25 cup sweet pickle relish
Creamy dressing
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tbsp yellow mustard
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • paprika for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Boil the potatoes
  1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the russet potato cubes until tender, about 15 minutes. Visual cue: cubes should pierce easily with a fork.
Cool and combine
  1. Drain the potatoes and let them cool completely. Visual cue: they should no longer feel hot when you test a piece.
  2. Add the potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, celery, onion, and sweet pickle relish to a large bowl. Visual cue: the mixture should be evenly speckled with egg and relish.
Make the dressing
  1. Mix mayonnaise, yellow mustard, apple cider vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper until smooth. Visual cue: the dressing should look uniform and creamy.
Dress, chill, and serve
  1. Pour the dressing over the potato mixture and fold gently until everything is coated. Visual cue: potatoes should be creamy but not mashed.
  2. Refrigerate the potato salad for at least 2 hours to thicken and blend flavors. Visual cue: it should look set and cool throughout.
  3. Garnish with paprika just before serving. Visual cue: a light dusting should be visible on top.

Notes

Pro tip: cool potatoes thoroughly before mixing so the dressing stays creamy instead of watery. Refrigerate in a covered container for 3–4 days; freezer not recommended. For a lighter option, replace up to half the mayonnaise with plain Greek yogurt while keeping the same mustard and vinegar for tang.