This Is The Best Time To Dress Potato Salad

Potato salad recipes vary wildly in ingredients, some consisting of a mayonnaise base and others mustard. Some families even have their own recipes for the popular side dish, but according to Kitchn, the savory salad is broken into four categories. The four types include German potato salad, mayo-based, dairy-based, and vinegar-based. Of course, there are many other potato salad types, but the point is that different recipes call for varying ingredients.

Real Simple says that there are five rules you must follow to create an excellent potato salad. First, you must choose the perfect potato. Then, salt the water, slice and dice the potatoes, and dress the salad promptly to infuse the flavors. When mixing the ingredients, each component must be incorporated into the salad at different times to ensure your dish is as delicious as possible. Ready to try it yourself? Grab your spoon and ingredients. Here's what you need to know.

The secret to knowing when to dress your potato salad is in the base. You want your potato salad to be creamy and chunky with a little crunch. Kitchen says it's crucial to allow the potatoes to cool before adding mayonnaise or a cream-based dressing to the salad. Mixing mayo into warm potatoes creates a melted, oily potato salad mess. So, let them cool first, then add your mix-ins. For additional tangy flavor, Insider suggests adding a two-part mayonnaise and one-part sour cream ratio, crumbles of bleu cheese, or a dollop of thousand island dressing to the mayonnaise.

If your family prefers mustard or vinegar-based potato salad, Real Simple suggests mixing the dressing into the potatoes while they're still warm. Doing this allows the potatoes to absorb all of the vinegar's deliciousness.

Real Simple says you can elevate your potato salad flavor with bonus add-ins such as bacon, dill, avocado, onion, pickles, and garlic, just to name a few. Enjoy!