I was not a huge fan of potato salad for most of my life. Even though I like a little mayonnaise, potato salad always tended to have too much mayonnaise. All of that changed when I first tasted the southern potato salad recipe that Reggie’s Aunt Beulah prepares.
Recently, I asked Aunt Beulah if she would share the recipe with me and she was kind enough to agree. After Aunt Beulah shared that it was actually her late mother’s recipe, it became even more special since my husband Reggie has such fond memories of his grandmother. I really love recipes that are passed down from generation to generation.
One thing about southern home cooks is that they don’t give exact measurements. For example: “about” and “not too much” were included in the cooking directions. Fortunately, I grew up with a southern grandma, so I was able to translate her direction into an actual recipe that you can easily follow.
Not only do I love this potato salad, but my youngest son Sean does too. Since he is the most selective eater in our family, that speaks volumes regarding how good it is.
Grandma Pettus’ Southern Potato Salad Recipe
Southern Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 3 medium white potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 2 medium eggs
- ¼ cup onion, finely diced
- ¼ cup sweet pickle relish
- 2 tsp yellow mustard
- 3 tbsp mayonnaise
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Peel and chop the potatoes into cubes. Boil them in a large pot of water until they are fork-tender - soft, but not mushy. (The potatoes normally take 10-15 minutes to boil.)
- Drain the potatoes and let them cool down to room temperature.
- Boil the eggs in a saucepan of water. When they are hard-boiled, remove them from the saucepan. (The eggs normally take 12-15 minutes to be hard-boiled.)
- Cool the potatoes to room temperature before peeling and chopping them.
- Add all of the ingredients (potatoes, eggs, onion, relish, mustard, mayo, salt and pepper) into a large bowl and mix everything well.
Recipe Tips
- I recommend covering the bowl and placing the potato salad in the refrigerator to chill for at least a few hours. If you can let the potato salad chill overnight, the flavor will be even better.
- I am not a big fan of a gazillion kitchen gadgets but I recommend purchasing a vegetable peeler. It cuts down on so much time when peeling things like potatoes.
- This recipe goes perfectly with a variety of dishes. I served it with pan-fried chicken and sauteed spinach in the picture below. Potato salad is versatile though and is a great side dish at barbecues. Enjoy!
If you found this recipe helpful, please share it. Thanks!
{Top post image purchased from Canva.com}