Great American Potato Salad is a fantastic salad to go with your Summer Cookout. This salad reminds me of when I was growing up and having get togethers with family and good friends.

We always had large gatherings because my mother was the oldest of 11 children and I was the youngest of 9 children. I had 80 first cousins on my mother’s side and many of them lived within 15 miles of where I grew up.

I guess that I got a little spoiled having all of those people around because it seemed kind of quiet here on the Fourth of July with just myself, my husband and 2 of my children here. But the Great American Potato Salad was just as good!

Some of my other children did drop by later with some of my grand children for leftovers and to visit. We also had lots of fireworks and patriotic music here in the neighborhood and I do enjoy my neighbors so that was fun.

 

 

What Ingredients Do I Need For Great American Potato Salad?

Here’s a list of ingredients you’ll need to make this Potato Salad (scroll down for the full recipe):

 

• Miracle Whip salad dressing
• Prepared mustard
• Celery seed
• Salt
• Pepper
• Potatoes (I like red or gold)
• Eggs
• Onion
• Celery
• Sweet pickles

 

 

How Do I Make Great American Potato Salad?

Here’s the simple steps you’ll follow to make this Potato Salad (scroll down for the full recipe):

 

• Hard boil the eggs, as directed.
• Cook and prepare the potatoes.
• In a medium size bowl, combine the Miracle Whip, mustard, celery seed, salt and pepper.
• Then in a large bowl, place the prepared potatoes, prepared eggs, chopped onion, diced celery, and chopped pickles.
• Combine the potato mixture with the Miracle Whip mixture.
• Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator.
• Top with egg for garnishing if you like.
• Sometimes I also like to sprinkle just a bit of paprika on top of the salad.

 

 

How Do I Boil Eggs for my Great American Potato Salad?

 

In a small pan on the stovetop:

The most common way to boil eggs is on the stove in a pot of water.

1. Place the 3-4 eggs in a small pan and cover them with water.
2. Then bring the water to a rolling boil.
3. When the water starts to boil, place a lid on the pan and set a timer for 15 minutes, making sure that you leave the lid on the whole time.
4. After the timer goes off, dump the water off of the eggs and replace the water with cold ice water.
5. Allow the eggs to sit for 5-10 minutes or until the eggs are cool enough to handle.

 

Or you may want to use the Instant Pot:

Another method to boil eggs is to use your Instant Pot. I love how easy the shells come off when using this method. 

1. Place 1 cup of cold water in the bottom of the Instant Pot.
2. Place the eggs on the rack.
3. Set the pressure time for 6 minutes.
4. After the timer goes off, do the quick release method.
5. Place the eggs in a bowl of cold ice water and allow them to sit for 7-10 minutes.
   *(The Instant Pot has worked best for me for removing the egg shells).

 

 

How Do I Cook Potatoes for my Great American Potato Salad?

 

First of all, choose the potatoes that you are going to use for your salad. I like to use red or gold potatoes, as they are both less starchy potatoes and hold their shape better.

Boiling potatoes is not complicated but it is a basic cooking skill! Potatoes are a very versatile food and many of our favorite dishes, from potato salad to mashed potatoes, start with boiling potatoes.

 

How to Boil Potatoes on the Stove:

The most common way to boil potatoes is on the stove in a pot of water.

1. Prep your potatoes. Start by scrubbing the potatoes with a clean produce brush to remove any dirt, then rinse. If desired, peel the potatoes with a vegetable peeler or paring knife, cutting away from your hand. Remove any sprouts and green areas with the tip of a potato peeler. As for whether you should peel your potatoes or not, that is simply a matter of personal preference. There is really no right or wrong here.
2. Cut into smaller pieces. Cut the potatoes into quarters or cubes to speed up cooking time. Leave small new potatoes whole and halve larger ones. To cube potatoes, slice them to the desired thickness, then stack several slices and cut crosswise several times in both directions.
3. Place potatoes in a large saucepan or pot. Add enough cold water to cover the tops of the potatoes. Add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt to the water. Turn the burner on high and bring water to boiling. Reduce the heat to medium low or low. Cover the pot with a lid. Cook the potatoes in gently boiling water until tender, about 15 minutes for small Red Potatoes, New Potatoes or cubed potatoes, and 20 to 25 minutes for quartered potatoes. You can use a fork to test to see if they are tender. Your fork should effortlessly slide through the potato.
4. Drain potatoes in a colander. Pour cubed potatoes into a colander or use a slotted spoon to remove large pieces of potato from the hot water and place in bowl. If your recipe calls for cooled potatoes, run them under cold water or submerge in an ice bath to speed up the cooling process.

 

How to Boil Potatoes in a Slow Cooker:

An easy solution to boil potatoes is to use your slow cooker. Your slow cooker doesn’t actually “boil” the water, but the end result is the same. If you’re planning to use the cooked potatoes for mashed potatoes, you can mash and even serve right from your slow cooker.

1. Prep your potatoes. Start by scrubbing the potatoes with a clean produce brush to remove any dirt, then rinse. If desired, peel the potatoes with a vegetable peeler or paring knife, cutting away from your hand. Remove any sprouts and green areas with the tip of a potato peeler. As for whether you should peel your potatoes or not, that is simply a matter of personal preference. There is really no right or wrong here.
2. Cut into smaller pieces. Cut the potatoes into quarters or cubes to speed up cooking time. Leave small new potatoes whole and halve larger ones. To cube potatoes, slice them to the desired thickness, then stack several slices and cut crosswise several times in both directions.
3. Place your cut potatoes in your slow cooker. Add a cup of water. Most of the water will be cooked off or absorbed by the potatoes during the cooking process, which makes draining unnecessary.
4. Cover and cook on high for 2 to 3 hours, or on low for 5 to 6 hours, or until tender.

So when you make your Great American Potato Salad, use Red Potatoes or Gold, peel your potatoes or not, just make sure to enjoy your delicious salad!

 

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