I’m not a huge fan of potato salad unless it’s this adaptation of my mom’s potato salad, which is always made for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. Always paired with arroz con gandules and pernil, this potato salad reminds me of the simplicity that goes hand-in-hand with the craziness of the holiday cooking season.

This is honestly the only way I want to eat a mayonnaise-based potato salad and it yields a large amount, so you can definitely scale back the recipe if you’re cooking for yourself or just two people. If you have leftovers after sending people home with plates, the potato salad always tastes better the next day! Have this with my guava chipotle glazed wings or any other protein and you’ll be set.

Simple Potato Salad

Cook time: 30 minutes, at least 1 hour to chill

Yield: 8-10 servings

2.5lb gold potatoes, cubed

10 large eggs

1/2 cup Duke’s mayonnaise

3 tbsp yellow mustard

1.5 tbsp granulated garlic 

Kosher salt, to taste

Cracked black pepper, to taste

Roasted red peppers and their brine, diced for garnish

In a large pot with cold salted water, bring the potatoes and eggs to a boil. Cook the potatoes until they’re fork tender, about 20-25 minutes. Once the potatoes can easily be pierced with a fork or knife, strain them, and add them back to the pot to dry out a bit from the residual heat of the burner (that’s been turned off). They’ll steam through so you don’t end up with potatoes that taste like nothing. Carefully remove the eggs with a spoon or some tongs, and set them aside under cold running water to be peeled.

With a fork or potato masher, mash up the eggs until the whites and yolks are all broken down and still slightly chunky. Add the mayonnaise and mustard, stirring until well combined. Next, add the granulated garlic and liberally season with kosher salt and black pepper, adjusting to your taste.

Gently fold in the boiled potatoes and adjust any seasoning as needed. Cover the potato salad with plastic wrap and vent it so it can chill in the fridge for at least one hour. Once chilled, garnish with diced roasted red peppers and a little bit of their brine (to your liking) and serve with your favorite protein.

¡Buen provecho!