The Best Old-Fashion Potato Salad with a Rich, Creamy Cooked Dressing
This Old-Fashioned Potato Salad with a Cooked Dressing is a creamy, tangy, and nostalgic side dish-just like grandma used to make! With tender potatoes and a rich creamy dressing, it’s the perfect addition to BBQs, picnics, and family gatherings.
This recipe came from my grandma’s notebook – the pages are worn and stained. She passed away several years ago. My favorite memories of her usually involve food… her food. She made the best meals in an old-fashion cooking kind of way.
I am sure that once you taste this cooked dressing, there will be no turning back. This Potato Salad with a Cooked Dressing is a go-to for sure!
How to Make Potato Salad with a Cooked Dressing
To get started, peel and cut 6 medium potatoes into cubes. I personally like smaller cubes, but you do what you like as far as size. I have russet potatoes on hand and that is what I used here. White potatoes or Ukon Gold are best for potato salad, but if done right Russets will work out fine in my opinion.
Once the potatoes are cubed, put them into a pot and cover them with water. Cover the pot and let them come to a boil over medium heat. Mine usually cook just after a 10-minute boil. Just keep a close eye on them. You dont want them to turn to mush or you will have mashed potato salad. While the potatoes are cooking, go ahead and chop up your celery and onion.
Drain the potatoes in a colander and allow them to cool while you make your cooked dressing.
How to Make the Cooked Dressing
Gather dressing ingredients except for the mayo…you don’t need that right now. In a saucepan (no heat yet), whisk together the eggs, sugar, cornstarch and salt. After that is mixed together, whisk in mustard, cider vinegar and milk.
This can be cooked over medium heat but be sure to keep whisking so it doesn’t burn. Cook and whisk until it has thickened. Make sure it is thick, or you will end up with a runny dressing. After it has thickened, remove from heat and stir in the butter. Allow it to cool. I usually transfer this mixture to bowl and stick it in the fridge.
In the meantime, toss together your cooled potatoes, onion, celery and celery seed. I do have a confession to make, I only had one lonely stalk of celery on hand which wasn’t nearly enough. So, let’s pretend that there are lots of beautiful green pieces of celery in my bowl.
Now it’s time to take your chilled dressing out of the fridge and fold in 1 cup of mayo.
Finally, combine all of that creamy dressing and potato mixture.
There you have it, The Best Old-Fashion Potato Salad with a Rich, Creamy Cooked Dressing. It might seem like a lot of work but it’s really not and either way it is so worth it. And as always you can adjust this recipe to suit your taste.
The Best Old-Fashion Potato Salad with a Rich, Creamy Cooked Dressing
Ingredients
- 6 medium potatoes
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 tsp celery seed
Cooked Dressing
- 2 eggs beaten
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp mustard
- ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup milk
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1 cup mayo
Instructions
- Peel and cube potatoes into uniform chunks. Cover potatoes with water in a large pot. Cover pot with lid and boil until tender. Drain and cool
- Whisk together eggs, sugar, cornstarch and salt in a saucepan. Whisk in milk, vinegar, and mustard. Cook over medium heat for 7 to 10 minutes or until thickened (be sure to continuously whisk so mixture doesn’t burn). Remove from heat and stir in butter.
- Refrigerate mixture to chill. Once chilled add mayo.
- Toss together potatoes, celery, onion and celery seed. Gently fold in dressing.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.