Potato salad is a perfect summer side and even better when made with homemade mayo

Grilling season means quick, delicious, little-mess dinners, which is part of the reason summer is such a nice time to enjoy at-home cooking. A question I hear frequently is, “What sides should I serve?”

A summery side perfect for grilled meats is potato salad. There are more versions of potato salad than about any other salad, but this week’s recipe is adapted from my sister-in-law, Cheryl’s, recipe. She makes it for all the Rathbun Memorial Day picnics and about anytime we visit in the summer. My husband and I rave about it every time.

I’m adjusting the recipe a little because Cheryl makes her own pickles. Maybe someday I’ll learn from her how to do that, but until then, Claussen pickles are fabulously garlicky and crisp.

If you really want it to be over-the-top good, make your own mayo. I included a recipe for that, also. Mayo is one of those easy to mess up condiments because a lot of recipes turn out runny or they “break,” meaning the fat separates from the other liquid.

This mayo recipe is adapted from Cooks Illustrated. One of the reasons it’s so great is that it also lasts in the fridge for a month. Most mayo that’s homemade only lasts a few days because of the raw egg. This recipe tempers the egg yolk, making it last way longer.

Big batch salads are a great time saver in the summer time. It seems longer days don’t even make up for all the “to dos” outside – watering the flowers, weeding the gardens and keeping things tidy on the patio take up a lot of time, and at some point, it’s nice to just sit on the patio.

This spring has been delightful for eating meals outside. For a summery meal, grill some juicy burgers, enjoy Cheryl’s Potato Salad, cut up some hunks of watermelon and pour yourself your favorite beverage.

Cheryl’s Potato Salad

1 ½ cups mayonnaise, homemade is preferable

1 teaspoon celery seed

2 teaspoons white vinegar

1 teaspoon yellow mustard

2 - 3 pounds red or yellow potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces and boiled

½ cup yellow onion, small dice

1 jar of Claussen Dill Pickle Minis, chopped

3 hard boiled eggs, chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

Fresh chives, finely chopped for garnish

To make potato salad, mix mayo, celery seed, vinegar and yellow mustard together. Add potatoes, onion, pickles and hard boiled eggs. Mix together well and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with fresh chives.

Homemade Mayonnaise

3 tablespoons water

2 large egg yolks

4 teaspoons lemon juice

1 ½ cups avocado or grapeseed oil

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

¼ teaspoon sugar

Mix water, egg yolks and lemon juice together in a small bowl. Microwave in 10 second increments, stirring after each time, until thermometer reads between 160 and 165 degrees F, about 40 – 50 seconds total or up to 2 minutes (this can differ depending on microwave). Add ¼ cup oil, salt, mustard and sugar and mix together right away.

Strain mixture through a fine mesh strainer into food processor bowl with “S” blade loaded into the bowl. Add lid to the food processor, and begin very slowly drizzling the 1¼ cup oil into the bowl to emulsify the mayo. Will last 30 days in the fridge.

Cooks Illustrated

This story was originally published June 2, 2020 at 12:26 PM.