Southern Potato Salad

I just had a family BBQ.  My two brothers, two sisters, all the kids and my parents came over to my house.  I can't remember the last time we were all together.  It was a lot of people and a lot of fun!  In addition to the grilled meats, I wanted to make a side dish that's not only delicious, but easy to make in a large quantity.  I had a lot of mouths to feed!  Good old fashioned Southern Potato Salad was the perfect choice.  What goes better with hot barbecue than cold potato salad?  Here's the recipe:

*Note:  I doubled this recipe and it made a ton!  We fed almost 30 people and had leftovers.

SOUTHERN POTATO SALAD

5 lbs Idaho potatoes (these have the right starch content)
5 eggs, hard boiled*
1/4 of a large onion, grated
3/4 cup mayonnaise
2 TBS yellow mustard
3 TBS sweet pickle relish
2 TBS dill pickle juice
Tony Chacherre's creole seasoning
salt, pepper

Peel potatoes.  (Tip:  Have a big bowl of water ready.  After you peel each potato, put it in the bowl of water.  This will keep them from turning brown).  Cut into cubes, try to make them all relatively the same size (so they'll cook evenly).  Place potatoes in a large pot.  Cover with cold water (just enough water to cover the potatoes).  Bring to a boil, then salt the water generously.  This is where the potatoes get seasoned so be sure to add enough salt.  Boil, stirring occasionally, until a fork slides easily into the potatoes.  (I can't tell you exactly how long to boil them because it depends on how big you cut your potatoes).  Just keep checking them until they are fork tender.

When done, drain the potatoes.  I like to mix this in my stand mixer.  It makes it easier, but you can do it by hand in a big bowl.

Put the potatoes in a big bowl, then add the grated onion, mayo, mustard, sweet relish, pickle juice and mix everything together.

Season to taste with Tony's creole seasoning, salt and pepper.  Lastly, stir in chopped boiled eggs.

*How to hard boil eggs:  In case you don't know how to hard boil eggs, here's an easy way to do it.

Place eggs in a pot.  Cover with COLD water (just enough to cover the eggs).

Bring to a boil.  Then, put the lid on the pot, remove from heat and let sit for 15 minutes.  Meanwhile, fill a big bowl with ice and water.  When the 15 minutes is up, immediately transfer the eggs to the bowl of ice water.

This stops the cooking process and makes the eggs easier to peel.  Another tip:  Older eggs are easier to peel.  Buy your eggs about a week before you boil them and they'll peel a lot easier.  See how the shell just slides off.

So, there's the recipe for a delicious, old fashioned potato salad.  I hope you get to make it for a family BBQ like I did.  It was so nice to have everyone together again (even my semi-annoying brothers who live to aggravate me).  Enjoy your summer and enjoy your family!

5 Ways to Use Boiled Eggs

Easter is almost here and if you're like me you will dye eggs, lots of eggs.  My kids are teenagers now, but we still love to dye eggs together.  The question is, what do we do with them?

I hate to waste food!  I always try to use up ingredients before they go bad or repurpose leftovers.  After Easter, the dozens of boiled eggs call for some extra creativity.  Here are 5 ways you can use up those boiled eggs.  But first, here are some tips for hard boiling eggs.

How to Hard Boil Eggs:

1.  Put eggs in a pot and add just enough COLD water to cover.

2.  Bring to a boil.  Put the lid on the pot.  Turn off the heat.

3.  Let sit for 15 minutes.

4.  Remove eggs to a bowl of ice water.  Let sit for 10 minutes.  This will cool them down to stop the cooking process so they don't over cook and make them easier to peel.

*Another tip for easy peeling:  Buy your eggs about a week before you boil them.  Fresher eggs are harder to peel.


5 Ways to Use Boiled Eggs:

1.  Deviled Eggs

A classic in the South and at Church potlucks everywhere.  I like an easy version called Ranch Deviled Eggs.  Cut the eggs in half lengthwise.

Remove the yolks to a bowl.  Add a little ranch dressing and mash with a fork.  Salt and pepper to taste.

I like to season the whites with a little salt and pepper then fill each egg white with a little of the yolk mixture.  Garnish with sliced green onions.  Easy but so good!

2.  Egg Salad Sandwiches

Dice the boiled eggs into small pieces.  Add a little mayonnaise (too much will make it goopy) and a little bit of mustard (too much will over power it).  Salt and pepper to taste then stir in some chopped fresh parsley.  Serve on bread.

3.  Tuna Salad

Mix 1 can of tuna, drained, with 2 diced boiled eggs.  Stir in a little mayonnaise, a little mustard, a small pickle, diced, and season to taste with Cajun Seasoning.  I also like to add a little bit of pickle juice.  It gives it some zing!  Serve with crackers, on bread or wrapped in lettuce.

4.  In a Green Salad

Prepare your favorite green salad and top it with sliced boiled eggs.  This will add protein and make it more satisfying.

5.  Potato Salad

Mix cubed boiled potatoes, cubed boiled eggs, mayonnaise, mustard and sweet pickle relish in a large bowl (the amounts depend on how many potatoes you use.  Just add enough mayo and mustard to get it the way you like it.  Taste as you go).  Mash everything together with a potato masher to get desired consistency (Some people like it very chunky, I like it a bit smoother).  Then, season to taste with Cajun Seasoning (or salt & pepper).

So, there are 5 ways to use those leftover boiled eggs.  I'm sure you can think of more.  So, go ahead, dye as many as you like.  Happy Easter!