This delicious Southern Potato Salad recipe has been in my family for generations and is a go-to favorite! It makes the perfect side dish for holidays, casual suppers, potlucks, and cookouts! With its soft potatoes, crunchy pickles, yellow mustard, and hard-boiled eggs, this classic potato salad is one you'll make again and again!
Combine all ingredients together and mix until well-combined and creamy. Add more mayonnaise and mustard depending on tastes.
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Notes
Storage TipsTo store: Cover tightly or place in an airtight container and refrigerate for 3 to 4 days.To make ahead: While this potato salad tastes great on the day you make it, it tastes amazing the second day. You should cover it well and refrigerate until ready to serve. Again, it should last for 3 to 4 days if refrigerated.Safe time out of the fridge: Since potato salad is often served at cookouts and potlucks, many people wonder how long it can sit out and still be safe to eat. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that potato salad with mayo and eggs, like most perishable foods, should not be left out of the refrigerator for more than two hours at room temperature. If the temperature is above 90°F (32°C), the recommended time is reduced to one hour. Please use your best judgment, but if the temperature is hot, as is often the case with most outdoor summertime cookouts, I recommend refrigerating within one hour.Recipe Success Tips
When serving guests, chop into larger pieces. I sometimes chop ingredients into larger pieces so that people can remove things (onion, pickles) if they don't want to eat them.
Let your potato salad cool a bit before placing it in the refrigerator. It's a good idea to let the salad cool for a few minutes after mixing before covering it and placing it in the fridge to chill. The steam from the warm potatoes can add too much moisture to your potato salad if not given a few minutes to cool down.
Taste your potato salad to see if it needs any adjustments after refrigeration, before serving. If the potato salad is warm when mixed (as it will be for most of us), the potatoes will absorb a lot of flavor from the other ingredients, and you may need to taste it to see if it needs a little something extra, such as more mustard.
Use dill pickle juice to make your potato salad creamier! It gives this Southern potato salad an extra "tang" that is so delicious! Add a couple of tablespoons at a time and taste to avoid over-saturating with liquid. This works especially well when serving the cold potato salad after it's been refrigerated and you want to make it a tad creamier before serving. Delicious tip!