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Old-Fashioned Potato Salad

Old-fashioned potato salad with a classic creamy dressing, tender russet cubes, chopped hard-boiled eggs, and sweet pickle relish. This traditional recipe is folded gently for a creamy texture and chilled until scoopable for picnic salad-ready flavor.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
chilling 2 hours
Total Time 4 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 530
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Potato salad base
  • 3 lb russet potatoes
  • 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
  • 0.25 tsp salt to taste
  • 0.25 tsp pepper to taste
  • 0.5 tsp paprika for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven
  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Boil and cool the potatoes
  1. Bring a pot of water to a boil, then add russet potato cubes and boil until tender, about 15 minutes, stirring once or twice. Visual cue: the cubes should pierce easily with a fork but not fall apart.
  2. Drain the potatoes and spread them on a sheet pan to cool. Visual cue: surface steam should subside and the cubes should feel warm-to-cool rather than hot.
Mix the salad
  1. In a large bowl, combine the cooled potatoes, chopped hard-boiled eggs, diced celery, finely diced onion, and sweet pickle relish. Visual cue: you should see distinct yellow egg pieces mixed through the pale potato cubes.
  2. Whisk mayonnaise, yellow mustard, apple cider vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper in a separate bowl until smooth and creamy. Visual cue: the dressing should look uniform with no mustard streaks.
  3. Pour the dressing over the potato mixture and fold gently until evenly coated. Visual cue: the potatoes should be glossy and creamy without breaking the cubes.
Chill and garnish
  1. Refrigerate the potato salad for at least 2 hours to let the flavors meld and the texture thicken. Visual cue: the mixture will look slightly firmer and more cohesive when chilled.
  2. Just before serving, sprinkle paprika over the top for garnish. Visual cue: a light dusting of red specks should be visible across the surface.

Notes

Pro tip: cool the potatoes fully before mixing so the dressing doesn’t turn runny. Refrigerate in a covered container for 3–4 days; freezing is not recommended for best texture. For a lighter option, use mayonnaise labeled “light” or a reduced-fat mayonnaise while keeping the same mustard, vinegar, and relish ratios.