Well, the key to good potato salad (IMO) is putting vinegar on the potatoes while they're still warm. It's too late for that step.

Still, with everything you've listed I'd think it would be pretty flavorful. When are you eating it? Maybe it needs a little time to develop.

You could still add some red wine vinegar to give it some pizzaz and maybe some salt. Is that coarse mustard you mentioned like Grey Pipoun? That should make it taste good also.

Bacon! I fry some up really crispy, and break into pieces. I also saute some onions in the bacon grease.

VINEGAR! I remember my grandmother doing that!

We ate it last night, hopefully this noon it will be more developed in its flavors.

Yes...it is like Grey's mustard.

The Vidalia onions won't really give much flavor. Too mild.

I love lots and lots of DelMonte Sweet Pickle Relish and its juice in potato salad, and a very healthy dose of paprika.

I do mine up. I chop up green and red peppers, and split in half cherry tomatoes, and add cilantro. Lots and lots of flavor and freshness.

I make mine with crumbled bleu cheese and real bacon bits. My late ddIL sad she never liked potato salad until she had mine. Of course you have to like bleu cheese, because that flavor comes through. Dottie

Add some pickle relish to add some flavor.

Here's my recipe for potato salad, and it always turns out good:

Red-skinned potatoes, boiled until tender (about 6) and cut into chunks.

Cut up a small yellow onion into fine grade (I use the food processor so I get some onion juice, too).

Fry or microwave some bacon until really crisp, then crumble it finely - save the grease.

1/4 cup pickle relish (more or less, to your taste).

Fresh Chives, chopped finely (can also use green onion tops).

Sea salt and pepper to taste.

Combine 1 cup of sour cream (you can add more, of course); chives, onions, bacon crumbles AND grease, pickle relish to taste, salt and pepper. Toss in the potatoes, cover, chill in frige for 24 hours and enjoy!

I agree .. no sweet onions..
why miracle whip AND mayo? how about
just the MW?
bacon, celery, chives, salt, spicy mustard....
paprika?
relish?

I use seasoning salt. Maybe take a spoonful of your potato salad, sprinkle some on, taste it....see IF that brings the flavors out.....?

Vinegar....it just isn't good without vinegar....and maybe a tad more yellow mustard.

Sweet pickles, cut up, lots of them, and a little curry powder for pizazz.

I don't know that I'd add anything except the celery. It sounds darned good to me! Bet it's better today. I do put a fair amount of HB egg in mine. Makes it purty!!

My potato salad and everyone else in my family or friends make it the same way as our Mother's did.

New Potatoes
Green Onions
Eggs
Mayo or Miracle Whip - I use Mayo
Yellow mustard
Salt and pepper
Paprika sprinkled on the top

I garnish with thinly sliced radishes. One or two of my friends adds green peppers.

I wonder if vinegar is the reason I don't like store bought potato salad. To my taste I find when vinegar is used the salad is too tart. I love vinegar and could practically drink the stuff but for some reason don't like it in potato salad. Pickles or pickle juice must be a regional thing too.

If I venture off the beaten path with my potato salad no one in my family would eat it. LOL I just made a big bowl of potato salad to eat during the week and it tastes much better the second day.

Enjoy your salad. I'm eating a bowl of broccoli salad I made last night and surprisingly I did use vinegar and mayo together in this salad.

Anne

Kat, beat me to it!
Leave out the Mayo and use Miracle Whip. Add celery and be sure to mix some pickle relish into the dressing, that also adds the vinegar that may be needed.

DH's grandmother use to make really great potatoe salad. She always mixed a little French dressing into the dressing along with the yellow mustard. Sometimes we try adding different things to make an improvement, when what we really need is a little more of the same! Be sure you serve it with a pepper shaker handy -- it needs it!

I use all Miracle Whip too. Your list of ingredients sound really good too, although there are all kinds of variations you could use. Maybe you just need to add more of the seasonings.

It definitely needs celery, vinegar and SUGAR. My father won't eat potato salad unless it has sugar in it.

I also add a small amount of chopped green pepper.

It needs to chill to really bring out the flavor.

I enjoy carraway seeds in mine

Chopped chives and some nice crumbled up crispy bacon would be good.

Karen UK

oh, yeah, I forgot the celery! lol

My friend makes the best potato salad. Her secret is adding sour cream like kayjones does. Try a bite with a little sour cream and see if that helps.

It does taste soooo much better today! Dean says more mustard, and I did pick up some celery to add to it too. But all in all, it isn't too bad.

I don't like all mayo or all MW...that is why both. And tho these are "Vadelia" onions.......they are NOT sweet! They really come through today! LOL

Interesting to see how different they all are...we all learn from one another/different regions! =)

Dito on the vinegar and just about everything everyone else said except for the cilantro.Can't stand cilantro.LOL I just use mayo and a little mustard.About 3 parts mayo to 1 part mustard.I sometimes add a dollop of sour cream.If I'm using sweet pickles I use Miracle whip instead of the mayo.Also put in a dash or two of the pickle juice,either dill or sweet whichever you are using.I also add a few dashes of garlic powder.Don't know if anyone mentioned paprika.About a tsp.I also sometimes put about a cup of mild cheddar cheese cut into small cubes,not grated cheese.Sliced or chopped black or green olives.I don't personally like celery or onion in mine.DH's aunt use to put diced tomatoes in her potato salad.Not bad.
I think I have to go make some potato salad now!LOL

Add a bit of Ranch Dressing, it will make a big difference.
Don't go crazy adding too much stuff. Just the things you really like.
example:
Potatoes
Mayo
hard eggs
relish
onions
celery
and a good seasoning salt
& the ranch dressing

One more Potato Salad Recipe:

2 lbs. red potatoes
1/4 C finely chopped onion
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 C chopped celery
1/4 C Good seasons Italian dressing (prepared according to directions)
1/2 C Hellman's mayonnaise
2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped

Cook potatoes with skin on 30 - 35 minutes or until tender peel and cube. Combine with onion, celery, salt and pepper. Mix with Italian dressing while warm. Chill at least two hours. Add eggs and mayonnaise. Toss gently till well coated. Pimento and olives optional.

Now the question is whether I can remember what I did on it or not. I did write it down...somewhere, thought I put it in the computer but don't see it in the tested recipes section. Anyway, I've hit on a recipe I like. Pretty much decided on it by taking a number of recipes and going with things I like. Then I saw Emeril's Favorite Potato Salad and used that as a base. Here's essentially what I did as best I can remember:
I use white russet potatoes. Reds are too often undercooked. I like white russets.
I like a lot of egg.
Quite a bit of onion.
Celery
Radishes
Bacon (and pour a little bacon grease on the potatoes with a splash of vinegar)
For the dressing I use a mixture of sour cream, Salad dressing (Miracle Whip or generic) and Ranch Dressing. I have used a ranch dip or an onion dip as a substitute too.
Seasonings include:
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
Lemon pepper
a touch of cayenne, chili powder or some Louisiana Hot sauce
Celery Salt
Smoked Paprika
Italian Seasoning
Dill weed
Parsley
A little bit of mustard powder
I might add some shredded cheese but usually it's not necessary.

I don't like a lot of mustard and pickles in my potato salad. I prefer a touch of mustard powder and some dill weed.

I hope I haven't left anything out. It's not a hard and fast rule though. Vary it. It will almost always be good. One thing I've discovered though is I prefer large chunks of potato and egg, not little tiny pieces. And I don't drown it in dressing. Have it moist but be able to identify the ingredients. The dressing should flavor it not be a soup base.

Bacon! I fry some up really crispy, and break into pieces. I also saute some onions in the bacon grease.

I make it basically like you do Sandy although I don't use the dill and I add black pepper and celery. I add a splash of milk (moistens it) and the secret sauce my Mom used to put in her macaroni/tuna/baby pea salad.
In a small dish I mix some brown sugar, mustard or mustard powder, a splash of vinegar and some mayo. I mix mayo in the salad but also add the secret sauce and it makes all the difference. Yummy. Enjoy your salad....
Happy 4th all
Patti

I just re-read that original recipe. I would use sweet not dill pickles.

I use both Miracle whip and mayonnaise too. I also use sweet pickle relish, a bit of mustard, salt, pepper, bacon, a spoonful of prepared horseradish and chopped onion. (I like green onions especially) I make deviled eggs and put them on top of the salad for those who like eggs. I agree that adding some ranch dressing and a bit of milk is good. I always mix all of the dressing ingredients in a bowl with a whisk before I stir it into the salad. I don't use vinegar at all.

I never liked potato salad until I started making it this way. We love this. Less is more. You don't need all that stuff in it.

4 large potatoes
1 large Vidalia onion (thinly sliced)
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 - 1/3 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 - 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
Dash of vinegar
salt
pepper
dill weed

Cook potatoes until tender. Drain & cut into thin slices. Mix remaining ingredients together and put on potatoes. Mix well. Do not add anything else!

Potato slices rather than large chunks of cold potato really make a difference.

I NEVER use any onions unless they are Vidalia (in season) and other sweet onions when I can't get Vidalia. I don't want to bite into an onion and have it bite back.

Linda

So many good recipes. Couldn't possibly try them all. Wouldn't it be fun to have a tasting party? Mmmmmm....

anyone have a tried and true NO MAYO recipe?
Do I remember Moni posting one a while ago?

This is for you kat. It comes from The Union Square Cafe in New York. The restaurant owner was kind enough to give us a copy of the recipe:

2 lbs. red new potatoes, scrubbed and cut into eights
3 medium cloves garlic, peeled and halved
1 fresh rosemary sprig
3 parsley sprigs
2 fresh thyme sprigs
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 T + 1 1/4 tsps kosher salt
pinch dried red pepper flakes
6 oz. slab bacon, sliced 1/4 " thick
6 scallions, beards removed, outer layer peeled, and thinly sliced (1/2 C)
1/4 C extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 T coarsely chopped parsley
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven 375.
Place potatoes in medium saucepan and cover with 6 cups water. Add garlic, rosemary, parley sprigs, thyme, peppercorns, 1 T salt and red pepper flakes. Bring to simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender but not mushy, 10 - 12 minutes. Set the saucepan aside to cool, leaving potatoes in the cooking liquid.
Lay the bacon on a rack over a baking sheet (or directly on baking sheet if you don't have a rack) and roast until crisp, 20 - 25 minutes. When cool enough to handle, cut each slice into 1/4" pieces.
Reserve 1/4 cup of potato cooking liquid, then drain the potatoes in a colander. In a large bowl, combine potatoes, bacon and scallions.
Combine the reserved cooking liquid, olive oil, vinegar, parsley, the remaining salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper in a glass jar. Cover tightly and shake vigorously. Pour the sauce over the potatoes and toss thoroughly to combine. Serve at room temp.

I won't allow Miracle Whip in the house. This is my potato salad, and my favorite of any I've ever eaten. It is a combo of my mother's and sister's recipe, except, I add bacon.

Celery, green or purple onions, Claussen dills, stuffed olives that you've sliced yourself...not those pieces in the jar.
Eggs. Bell pepper, if I have it...or will make it without.

Take mayo, and add enough mustard to give the color of egg yolks, stir in enough pickle juice to make a dressing. Toss everything and add a big handful of crisp bacon crumbled...and a good sprinkle of Tony's creole seasoning, which is just a seasoned salt, but my favorite.

kat__wa, you don't have to use mayo if you don't want to. You can use any number of dressings, whether a "Miracle Whip" type of salad dressing or a salad dressing you put on a green salad. Sour cream is good, but I don't like all sour cream. I prefer a mixture instead of just Miracle Whip, just sour cream or just Ranch dressing or whatever. Some can get pretty strong for me. A vinaigrette dressing works fine and is good hot or cold. An Asian type dressing would go well on it too, I would think, of course it's whether you like it or not. A cream soup or cream sauce could be good too.

For that matter you don't need to use potatoes in potato salad! Cauliflower works well. Justin Wilson made one with saltine crackers instead of potatoes!

FWIW, one thing I won't buy is Hellman's mayo. Hellman's is a flavorless paste. Why bother. I like the tartness of salad dressings to add some flavor and I don't like sugar being added to everything. But some people won't use anything else but Hellman's and need the sweetness. Difference in tastes! :)