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This recipe for Potato Salad is from my father - unfortunately, like him, when I make it, I never measure a thing. But there is really no way you can make a mistake unless you use too much dressing ...

These ingredients will make enough Potato Salad for a larger group. It can be scaled down for a smaller group or just for a family dinner.

8 - 10 large Idaho potatoes (not bagged - from produce section)

5 - 6 large stalks of celery
1 small white onion
salt and pepper
1 small jar of Miracle Whip
1 small jar of Hellman's Mayo

Begin by boiling the potatoes, with skins on, in a large soup pot. Boil potatoes until you can easily slide a steak knife through them. Avoid over boiling potatoes, as they will fall apart when mixing in your dressing. (There is no set amount of time for boiling. Be sure to check the potatoes often.)

When boiling process is complete, remove potatoes from the boiling water and cool until they can be easily handled without burning your skin. Carefully remove the skin from each potato. After the skin is removed, and the potatos have cooled completely, cut potatoes into cubes and place in a large mixing bowl. (You can determine how big you want your cubes to be, but I personally prefer the cubes to be no larger than approximately 1/2 inch square.)

Next, clean your celery and peel the skin from the white onion. The idea here is to not use too much, so you don't take away from the flavor of the potatoes. Chop the celery and onion into small pieces. I am going to guess that I use approximately 1 to 1 1/2 cups of chopped celery and approximately 3/4 of the white onion. Of course, you can adjust this amount and use more or less if you choose.

After adding your celery and onions, carefully mix through the potatoes. You have to be gentle, using a spatula of some kind, or you will end up with "smashed" potato salad. While mixing, add approximately 1 1/2 teaspoon each of slat and pepper and mix through out the potatoes as well.

You are now ready to add your dressing, but first, you must put your mixture in the refrigerator for at least an hour to ensure that the potatoes are cooled. Cooling the potatoes will also ensure that they will not fall apart while mixing in the dressing.

The dressing is the secret to this tasty potato salad. The dressing mixture is 1 part Miracle Whip to 1 part Mayo. I usually start with one cup of each. The potatoes will soak up some of the dressing as it sits overnight so a little bit extra will not hurt anything - you don't want it to be too dry when you serve it to your guests.

Once your salad is completely mixed, you can put it into your serving bowls and refrigerate. Preparation the day before ensures full flavor of this potato salad.

For a fancier appearance, you can hard boil an egg, slice, and place the pieces on the top of your salad - then sprinkle with a little paprika to give it some color.

Enjoy ...

Learn more about this author, Jill Sznajder.
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