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What Goes With Potato Salad? – Read This!

What Goes With Potato Salad? – Read This!

Potatoes are loved by many and are a versatile vegetable. There are so many ways you can cook with simple potatoes.

It can be mashed, fried, eaten as chips, roasted, and even used in potato salads.

Potato salad is one of those side dishes that is always brought to a family BBQ or party.

Potato salad is best eaten with the main dish, but it can be eaten on its own as a snack. 

What exactly does potato salad pair well with?

What Goes With Potato Salad?

Potato salad goes well with dishes such as lemon roasted chicken or a simple meal like the old traditional meatloaf. Potato salad works well with BBQ meat and even a family meal of fish and chips.

What Is Potato Salad?

What is potato salad might be a question on your mind if you are not familiar with the dish.

Basically, it is a salad that consists of mayonnaise, onion, herbs, celery, and of course potatoes that are boiled until just soft. It is said potato salad came from Europe in the 16th century.

It then ended up in the US somewhere in the 19th century. The potato version will differ from place to place.

The European style is served warm with herbs and olive oil. The American way of potato salad is often served cold without herbs and olive oil.

What Can I Serve With Potato Salad?

Potato salads pair well with bbq dishes, meatloaves, chicken dishes, and plenty more.

Potatoes are rich in potassium, vitamin C, and fiber, so they go well with any dishes that are protein-packed.

Potato salad doesn’t have to be served with fancier dishes. You can enjoy some potato salad with fresh chicken nuggets or a plain piece of steak.

Due to the potato dish being so light, it can go with pretty well anything you like.

A favorite of mine is a grilled ham steak with potato salad. Ham and potato offer a southern flavor that goes so well together.

You can even drizzly an apricot and curry sauce over the potato salad for a different flavor.

Potato salad is often found in restaurants paired with lemon roasted chicken.

The delicious and zesty meal is packed with a strong flavor, with the potato salad offering a more toned-down flavor.

The whole meal can be cooked at home easily and with ingredients, you most likely already have in your pantry.

Are you stuck on a meal for the kids that’s quick? Grab out some leftover potato salad and pair it with some cooked burgers or hotdogs.

Friendly Tips For When You Make Potato Salad

Here are a few tips for making your own potato salad at home:

The Type Of Potato To Use

First, you need to know the types of potatoes to use as not all types are suitable for use in potato salad.

Some potatoes will not be able to retain their shape after they have been boiled.

This means the dish will look more like mashed potatoes than anything else.

The waxy type of potato is better and always avoid the starchy types.

The Red Bliss, Carola, Adirondack red and blue, New Potato, Rose Gold, and the Purple Viking are good potatoes to use.

Start Off With Cold Potatoes

Some people like myself have made the mistake of putting the potatoes into a pot of already boiling water.

The best thing to do is place the potatoes into a pot of cold water.

This will avoid overcooking the potatoes so they end up undercooked on the inside but mushy on the outside.

Cooking Time

The potatoes are the center of the meal, the main ingredient. You can ruin the dish if the potatoes are overcooked or undercooked.

The potatoes need to be in the just right category. They need to have a creamy texture with a soft and tender center.

Personally, I found cooking between 8 to 12 minutes is good, but this might vary depending on the size of the potatoes.

The good old trick of checking if they are done right is using a fork to pierce them with.

Adding In Salt

Many prefer not to cook with salt, but this is a recipe where salt is very important.

There really isn’t much flavor added into the salad, so salt is vital for those who want plenty of flavors.

The taste will not be the same if you add salt to the potatoes after cooking.

If you want the potatoes to be full of flavor, add the salt to the water when they are boiling.

The potatoes will absorb the salt inside instead of the salt, just seasoning it on the outside.

When To Add The Dressing

You can use either a mayonnaise-type dressing or a vinaigrette, and which type you use will be determined when you are adding the dressing.

If you want to use a mayo-based dressing, then this needs to be added only when the potatoes are cold.

When adding the mayonnaise when they are warm, it will melt and become oily due to the heat.

If you are using a vinaigrette-styled dressing, this can be added when the potatoes are still warm.

They will absorb some of the dressing and end up loaded with more flavor.

Conclusion

Potato salad goes with practically anything, or you can eat it on its own for a decent snack.

This is the difference between the other salads. It can go with chicken, beef, pork and even fish.

You can mix and match and find what you like best to pair with your potato salad.

Frequently Asked Questions About What Goes With Potato Salad

How Long Will Potato Salad Keep?

Potato salad can last for up to 5 days in the fridge as long as it is stored correctly in an airtight container.

Can You Freeze Potato Salad?

It is best not to freeze it. When defrosted, the dairy will have split, the potatoes will be soggy and gray, and it won’t be appetizing. Best served fresh.