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Picnic Potato Salad

Picnic potato salad with a classic creamy dressing and chopped hard-boiled eggs for an easy, traditional side dish. Boil-and-cool potatoes, fold in the mix-ins, then chill for a cohesive texture that holds up outdoors.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
chilling 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Russet potatoes
  • 3 lb russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
Hard-boiled eggs
  • 5 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
Celery
  • 0.5 cup celery, diced
Onion
  • 0.25 cup onion, finely diced
Sweet pickle relish
  • 0.25 cup sweet pickle relish
Mayonnaise
  • 1.25 cup mayonnaise
Yellow mustard
  • 2 tbsp yellow mustard
White vinegar
  • 1 tbsp white vinegar
Sugar
  • 1 tsp sugar
Salt
  • 1 salt to taste
Black pepper
  • 1 pepper to taste
Paprika
  • 1 tsp paprika for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Cook and cool
  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the russet potatoes. Boil at a rolling boil for 15–20 minutes, until a fork slides in easily.
  2. Drain the russet potatoes and spread them out to cool completely. Let them come to room temperature before mixing to keep the salad from turning watery.
Mix the salad base
  1. Add the cooled russet potatoes to a mixing bowl and top with the chopped hard-boiled eggs. Stir until evenly combined (spotted eggs should be distributed throughout).
  2. Add the diced celery, finely diced onion, and sweet pickle relish to the potato-and-egg mixture. Toss until the mix-ins are evenly spread.
Make the creamy dressing and combine
  1. In a separate bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, yellow mustard, white vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper. Whisk until smooth and thick, with no mustard streaks.
  2. Pour the dressing over the potato mixture and fold gently until everything is coated. Stop when the salad looks glossy and evenly dressed.
Chill and serve
  1. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the picnic potato salad for at least 3 hours. Chill until cold and set, with flavors fully melded.
  2. Before serving, garnish with paprika. Sprinkle lightly over the top for a bright, classic finish.

Notes

For the cleanest texture, cool the russet potatoes completely before mixing so the mayonnaise doesn’t loosen. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 4 days; freeze is not recommended for mayonnaise-based salad. For a lighter option, use half mayonnaise and half plain Greek yogurt (or all Greek yogurt) while whisking the dressing.