Tedious To Make But It’s A Crowd Pleaser. Why The Potato Salad Is Still The Essential Sideline At A Party.

Last week I was helping my sister-in-law prepare for her son’s graduation party. The party was going to be an open house from 3:00pm to 9:00pm on the Saturday after graduation. We were preparing the food the day before. She had potatoes and eggs boiled for a potato salad. She asked me if I would make the potato salad while she made several other side dishes.

I started peeling the 10 pounds of potatoes that she had cooked. After an hour of working on the salad I had peeled and diced the potatoes and had peeled the eggs. As I started chopping the eggs I mentioned to my sister-in-law that it was taking me forever to make the salad. She laughed and said that was why she did not want to make it. Once I had the eggs chopped I still had to dice onions and celery, as well as make the dressing. By the time the salad was done two hours had passed. Just as I was finishing the salad my brother-in-law arrived home. His first comment was that there was not going to be enough potato salad.

I had used a huge bowl that holds four gallons to mix the salad in. The bowl was full to the top. I told him that this was enough salad to feed 100 people and they were planning on 75 people throughout the course of the open house. My sister in-law had also made six other salads as well as turkey and ham sandwiches. I told my brother-in-law that if they ran out of potato salad I would go buy some.

That is the amazing thing about potato salad as a side dish. It is very labor intensive and yet many people serve it as a side dish, especially to large gatherings. It seems that people have very strong preferences when it comes to this salad, some people do not like it with eggs in it, and others do not put in celery. The dressing is also debated regarding if you should use salad dressing or mayonnaise. I think that people like what ever kind of potato salad was served at events while they were growing up. I am always surprised when I go to the deli to purchase salad, at the variety they offer. They sell the salad with and without eggs and also made with mayonnaise or with salad dressing. My dad’s favorite was German potato salad which is served hot with a vinegar dressing. There are entire cookbooks that are dedicated to different kinds of this salad.

Well the potato salad that I made for the open house was a big hit. My sister-in-law told everyone that I had made it so I received several complements. At 10 minutes to 9:00pm my sister-in-law put out the last small bowl of the salad. I did not have to go buy any for my brother-in-law, but I could not believe that the large amount that I made was eaten. Potato salad certainly is a crowd pleaser.

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