This is sort of my grandma’s recipe for potato salad. I say sort of because she refused to measure anything. She was one of those cooks who knew how much to put in because it “looked right.” 

Sometimes those cooks make me mad. How am I supposed to know what looks right?

Anyway, my mom watched grandma make it, and even though she didn’t get a recipe, she remembered the process. She spent a while figuring out her version of it, and then passed the ingredients list and the flavor on to me. My contribution to this game-changing recipe was to measure everything and write it down. This way, my kids won’t have to spend forever going, “Now how much dressing do I add?” and getting the maddening answer, “Just do it ’til it looks right!” And neither will you. 

You’re welcome. 

You do want this recipe around. Not only is it one of the easiest potato salad recipes I’ve ever tried, it’s also the best tasting. Warning: this does not taste like the average potato salad. It doesn’t have any mustard or onions (yay!) and it relies heavily on Italian dressing and pickle juice for the flavor (yay again!). The fact that it’s a little different has made it a hit at every party I’ve gone to: people who say they don’t like potato salad usually like this one (if you can convince them to give it a taste). I have never taken it anywhere where I have not been asked for the recipe. It’s just that good, guys. 

So without further ado, here’s the Tuvell-Ensign-Homan families’ secret potato salad recipe!

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Picnic-Perfect Potato Salad

Prep Time 2 hours

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes

Servings 12

Ingredients

• 8 medium potatoes peeled
• 6 eggs
• 1 cup Miracle Whip
• 1/4-1/2 cup Italian dressing
• 2 Tbsp pickle juice
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• In a large pot, boil potatoes and eggs until potatoes are very, very soft.
• Peel eggs and place in a bowl.
• Smash potatoes with a fork.
• Chop eggs and add to potatoes.
• Stir in Miracle Whip, Italian Dressing, pickle juice, and salt and pepper. You are welcome to use more or less of any of these ingredients according to taste.
• Cover and place in refrigerator for 1-2 hours or until completely cool. Serve chilled.

So there you go – your new secret weapon for the next picnic or potluck!