Fourth of July is a time of family gatherings, fireworks, and delicious BBQ meals. Hot dogs, ribs, baked beans, and of course potato salad. This particular recipe belonged to my Nana, and my Mom has been making it every summer since I can remember. It is an absolute staple on our summer menus. Nothing quite evokes childhood memories like the flavor of this classic potato salad. Make sure you use really good quality dill pickles and don’t chop things too small. 

This was my first 4th of July away from my family in northern MI, but I was fortunate enough to be included with other families for a fabulous celebration. After a very satisfying BBQ, which featured this potato salad, we gathered by the water, drinks in hand, and watched as the night sky lit up… 

Ingredients

• 2 lb Honey Gold Baby Potatoes
• 5 Hard-Boiled Eggs, chopped
• 5 Dill Pickles, chopped 
• 3 Green Onions, white part only, chopped
• 3/4 cup Lite Mayonnaise
• 4 tbsp Yellow Mustard
• 1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
• 2 tbsp Paul Newman’s Olive Oil & Vinegar Dressing
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder or M Salt
• Salt & Pepper, to taste
• Paprika, for garnish

Scrub the skins of the potatoes – do not soak them. Place the cleaned potatoes in a large pot of cold water, bringing it to a boil. Once boiling, turn down the heat slightly, keeping it at a gentle boil. Cook the potatoes uncovered until tender, about 15-20 minutes – a knife should be able to slide in and out of the potato easily.  Drain the potatoes and place back in the pot off the heat. Cover with a towel and let the potatoes steam for additional 15 minutes. When cool enough to handle, chop them into quarters, depending on the sizes of each potato.

In another pot, cover the eggs with cold water and bring to a full boil. Once the water if fully boiling, turn the heat off, cover the pot with a lid, and let the eggs sit in the hot water for 12 minutes. You can also sous vide them to ensure they’re cooked to your desired temperature. Rinse the eggs under cool water and peel off the shells.

While the potatoes and eggs are cooking, mince the white section of the green onions, and chop the pickles and eggs, but not too small. 

Mix together the mayonnaise, mustards and olive oil & vinegar dressing. Place the potatoes, eggs, pickles, and green onions in a large mixing bowl. Add the mayo mixture dressing, garlic powder, salt & pepper to taste. Mix well. Add more dressings as needed; note that as the salad sits, it may naturally need more as the potatoes absorb the moisture. Chill before serving, preferably overnight, so that the flavors can blend. Garnish with paprika.