Margaret’s Potato Salad, with a Smokin’ Will’s twist!

I am married to an amazing woman. Really, she is totally amazing. First off she’s stayed married to me for 26 years. No mean feat, as those of you who know me will attest. Second, she has made this great potato salad for years. Longer than I’ve known her. When I say great that’s no exaggeration. People who don’t like potato salad love her’s. Until I learned to make it, just recently, it was the only potato salad I liked at all. I just won’t even try anyone else’s.

So, when we opened Smokin’ Will’s I wanted to do some special side dishes. Cowboy Pintos, Coleslaw, and Margaret’s potato salad. It took me several tries, but I finally got it to taste like hers. And since Smokin’ Will’s is a BBQ joint, I wanted to give it a little twist. Let me tell you about it.

This delightful dish has plenty of good things in it. Red potatoes, onion, celery, mayonnaise, mustard, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Hard cooked eggs, as well. Listen, why don’t I just give you the recipe, shall I?

Margaret’s Potato Salad, with a twist

5 lbs Red Potatoes

Kosher salt

Water to cover potatoes

1 dzn eggs, hard cooked

Hellemann’s Mayonnaise

Prepared Yellow Mustard

Kosher salt

Celery, chopped small

Onion, chopped small

Black Pepper

Cayenne Pepper

Method:

Potatoes

Put 5 pounds of red-skin potatoes in a large pot. Cover with cold water until covered by 2 inches. Add 1/4 cup kosher salt. Put on heat and bring to a boil. Cook until a fork penetrates easily. Remove from heat and run cold water over potatoes until cold. Peel and chop into 1″ chunks.

Eggs

Using your favorite method, hard cook 12 eggs. Cool, peel and set aside.

Dressing

2 cups Hellemann’s Mayonnaise

1/4 cup Prepared yellow mustard, use your favorite brand.

Kosher salt to taste

Black pepper to taste

Cayenne Pepper to taste

Mix mayo and yellow mustard together (I put both into a jar or screw-lid container). Add salt, pepper, and cayenne and mix thoroughly. Taste and correct seasoning to your taste.

Take peeled potatoes, celery, and onions into a large mixing bowl. Add sliced or chopped eggs to mixture. Pour dressing over all and with a spatula, mix until potatoes are completely coated in dressing.  Taste and correct for seasoning.

Cover and refrigerate until chilled.

One of the things we do when we’re serving it to guests and family at home is we hard cook more eggs, slice them, and decorate the top of the potato salad with them. We also sprinkle some paprika on top for color.

This stuff is great for any family gathering, pot lucks, meals, or if you just feel the need to whip up a batch.

If this sounds good to you and you don’t want to go to all this trouble, just stop by at Smokin’ Will’s 821 N Roselle Road, Roselle, IL 60172 (630) 980-2333, for some. We’ve taken the trouble and time to make it for you.

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