Creamy Southern Style Potato Salad

A nice summer, southern tradition.  Just add a grilled burger and slice of watermelon and your set for a wonderful backyard feast.  Don’t forget the sweet tea too.  This creamy yet tangy potato salad is one of my favorite side dishes.  Usually I’m too lazy to make it and I just end up buying a small container from Publix; but there is just something about homemade potato salad that makes the taste and occasion seem so much better.

I’ve added in some tips and tricks that I’ve learned from other recipe bloggers and from experience that will save you some time.  It takes about 45 mins, maybe an hour to prep and make this delicious recipe.

Ingredients:

3 lbs potatoes diced

4 hard boiled eggs

½ cup chopped celery

1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

4 to 5 bacon strips (cooked and crumbled)

¼ cup diced chive onions

 

Dressing:

⅔ cup olive oil mayo

⅔ cup sour cream

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp yellow mustard

½ tsp celery salt

1 tbsp pickle relish

1 tsp paprika

 
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Directions:

1. Fill a large pot half way with water and place on the stove. Then dice the potatoes and place them into the pot.

2. Turn the stove to high heat and boil the diced potatoes for 15 to 20 minutes.

3.  QUICK TIP 1 – Turn the oven on to 350 degrees. Place eggs into a muffin tin and bake for 28 to 30 minutes for boiled eggs.

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4. QUICK TIP 2 – Cook your bacon on a George Foreman Grill.  It cooks faster and is more crispy.  Also the grease is easier to clean up. When bacon is done, lay the strips on a paper towel on a plate to cool.

5. Chop the celery and chives and put to the side until later.

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6. Using a medium size bowl, mix the mayo, sour cream, apple cider vinegar and mustard.  Then add in relish, celery salt, and paprika. Mix until well blended.

7. Place a large glass dish with cold water (add ice) on the counter near the oven.  When the eggs are done baking, place them one at a time quickly into the ice water.  Let them sit for 10 minutes before peeling and dicing them.

8. QUICK TIP 3 – Strain the diced potatoes and let them cool in the refrigerator.  While they cool off, get a large serving dish that will be easy to mix all the finished ingredients.

9. Pour half the dressing into the serving dish.  Dump in half of the potatoes, all the diced eggs and celery.  Then pour in the rest of the dressing before dumping the rest of the potatoes.  Mix well.

10.  Once mixed well add salt and pepper to your liking.

11. Sprinkle bacon, parsley and chives over the top of the potato salad and it is ready to serve.

 

Hope you enjoy my take on a traditional potato salad dish.  It’s summer worthy.

Katie

Summer Fruit Salad

Such a great summer fruit salad!  Packed with juicy flavors to enjoy on a hot summer day.  And great colors for a fourth of July event.  Trust me you’ll have enough for a nice size party.  It’s so simple and yet so delicious.

 

Ingredients

Salad:

1 Seedless Watermelon (cut into small cubes)

2 pints of Strawberries (diced)

2 pints of Blueberries

1 pint of Blackberries

1 pint of Raspberries

-Optional- 1 pint of pitted cherries and small star cut outs of honey dew

Dressing:

½ cup of chopped fresh mint

1 cup honey

½ cup of lime juice (5 to 6 limes squeezed)

-Optional – instead of mint you can use poppy seeds

 

Directions

  1. Rinse and clean all fruit (you can rinse with water, vinegar and even baking soda to make sure it’s clean).
  2. Slice and dice the watermelon into small cubes (approximately ½ inch in size) and place in a large dish that can be sealed.
  3. Cut the leafy ends off of the strawberries and dice them into small bite size pieces.  Add them to the large dish.
  4. Sprinkle in blueberries, blackberries and raspberries.  Stir/mix until there is a nice mix of the colors of fruit.
  5. Slice and squeeze the limes into a small bowl.
  6. Either chop fresh mint or sprinkle poppy-seeds into the lime juice.
  7. Whisk in the honey and continue whisking until everything is blended nicely.
  8. Add the dressing last and mix well (I usually do it a few hours before serving so there is good flavor).

 

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Thanks for viewing and hope you can enjoy this festive treat this July 4th!

Katie