Yukon gold potatoes are smothered in a creamy, slightly sweet and tangy dressing. Fresh chopped peppers and onions give Mom’s Amish Potato Salad the perfect amount of crunch and a sprinkle of smoked paprika is added to the top to tie in the quintessential smoky taste of Summer BBQ. My Mom makes the absolute best comfort food and Mom’s Amish Potato Salad recipe is one of her classics. Passed down from my grandma, this recipe combines classic potato salad ingredients with a few unique ingredients and the result is the perfect Summer comfort food.
Mom’s Amish Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes chopped into bite-sized pieces.
- 2 ½ teaspoons salt 2 teaspoons are used to boil the potatoes and 1/2 teaspoon is used in the sauce
- 6 hard boiled eggs peeled and chopped
- 1 cup onion finely chopped
- 1 ½ cups chopped green pepper This is about one medium green bell pepper
- 2 cups mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons milk or plant-based milk
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt More to taste if necessary.
- ¼ teaspoon Smoked paprika optional
Instructions
- Place the potatoes in a large pot or dutch oven and add just enough cold water to cover them. I leave the potato skins on but feel free to remove them based on preference. Bring to a boil, add salt and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Drain the water and allow the potatoes to cool while you prepare the other ingredients.
- Combine the mayo, mustard, apple cider vinegar, milk, sugar, pepper and salt in a small bowl. Stir until thoroughly combined using a whisk.
- Combine the cooled potatoes, cooled and chopped hard boiled eggs, onion, green pepper and sauce in a large bowl and gently stir with a large spoon to combine.
- Refrigerate for at least two hours before serving.
- Garnish with a sprinkle of smoked paprika.
Don’t peel those skins
Did you know that there is actually tons of nutrients in potato skins? Fiber, vitamins B and C, potassium…just to name a few. A friend of mine calls the potato skins the “nutrition jacket” and I think that’s a great name for the tasty ingredient that’s usually thrown away. Yukon Gold potato skins are thinner and more delicate than other varieties like Russet potatoes. The taste is slightly sweet and nutty and it’s delicious when paired with the salad dressing in this recipe so save yourself a step and skip the peeling!
Don’t change that sauce! …but have fun experimenting with veggies
The sauce is perfection so don’t change the dressing ingredients but feel free to experiment with the vegetables depending on what’s in your fridge or on sale at your local grocery store. Here are a few variations that I’ve tried.
- Bell peppers: Instead of using a green pepper, try adding a little color to your potato salad by adding red, orange or yellow bell peppers (or a mixture). My kids love mini sweet peppers so sometimes I’ll add thinly sliced mini pepper rings for a little added sweetness.
- Celery: Add two stalks of chopped celery for added crunch.
- Carrots: Add a cup of shredded carrots. I buy pre-shredded carrots at the grocery store and give them a rough chop to keep it nice and easy.
- Peas: Add a cup of cooked and cooled peas for added protein and color.
- Red onion or green onions: Add color to this recipe by swapping the onion for red onion. Red onion can have a slightly spicy taste and sometimes a little sweeter taste depending on the particular onion. That said, the difference isn’t easily detected when smothered in pasta sauce. While it may not change the taste, a pretty dish always seems like it tastes better. At least that’s what my kids say. You could also use chopped green onions. The white portion has a delicious onion flavor and the green part adds bright green color.
- Fresh herbs: Skip the paprika and add a sprinkle of chopped herbs like fresh parsley.
Preparation and storage tips
- Mom’s Amish potato salad should be refrigerated for at least two hours prior to serving but a little extra time goes a long way because it allows the flavors to blend and soak into the potatoes. Ideally, I’d recommend making this potato salad 6-24 hours prior to serving.
- You can store this salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
What’s in Mom’s Amish Potato Salad?
- 3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, chopped into bite-sized pieces.
- 2 1/2 teaspoons salt – 2 teaspoons are used to boil the potatoes and 1/2 teaspoon is used in the sauce.
- 6 eggs, hard boiled, peeled and chopped – Make sure they’re nice and cool before adding them to the potato salad.
- 1 cup onion, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 cups green pepper, chopped – This is about one medium-sized green pepper.
- 2 cups mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons milk or plant-based milk – You can add a little more for a creamier consistency.
- 2 tablespoons sugar – You might want to start with 1 tablespoon and adjust the amount of sugar to taste.
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt – Taste and add more if necessary.
- Smoked paprika – This ingredient is optional. A sprinkle on top of the serving dish makes it look pretty. Regular paprika will also do the trick.
Directions
- Place the potatoes in a large pot or dutch oven and add just enough cold water to cover them. Bring to a boil, add salt and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Drain the water and allow the potatoes to cool while you prepare the other ingredients.
- Combine the mayo, mustard, apple cider vinegar, milk, sugar, pepper and salt in a small bowl. Stir until thoroughly combined using a whisk.
- Combine the cooled potatoes, cooled, chopped hard boiled eggs, onion, green pepper and sauce in a large mixing bowl and gently stir with a large spoon to combine.
- Refrigerate for at least two hours before serving.
- Garnish with a sprinkle of smoked paprika.
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