Mom’s Classic Potluck Potato Salad: This summer salad recipe is a staple at any family gathering, with its creamy texture and perfect blend of flavors. Potluck gatherings are a staple of summer, bringing together friends, family, and neighbors for food and fun. And no potluck is complete without the classic dish that has everyone reaching for seconds: potato salad. But not all potato salads are created equal. Some are bland and flavorless, while others are bursting with unique ingredients and a homemade touch. From the perfect balance of creamy and crunchy textures to the secret ingredient that takes it to the next level, get ready to become the potluck hero with this ultimate potato salad recipe.

Mom’s Secret Ingredient

The key to a creamy potato salad recipe is the dressing. The dressing for this potato salad recipe has creamy tangy buttermilk. Now before you go all crazy on me listen to what I have to say about buttermilk. Remember how much you love buttermilk ranch dressing or buttermilk pancakes? That’s what I’m talking about. Buttermilk mixed into recipes is delicious! My Mom loved buttermilk. She would drink glasses of it! I on the other hand would never and I mean never drink buttermilk straight out of the carton or any other way. But blend that same buttermilk with mustard, mayonnaise, and a splash of pickle juice and you’ll have a delicious potato salad dressing.

How to Make Classic Potluck Potato Salad

Skip your usual deli potato salad and make this homemade classic American potato salad recipe. You’ll be glad you did!

CLASSIC POTATO SALAD RECIPE INGREDIENTS LIST-full printable recipe below in recipe card

POTATO SALAD DRESSING INGREDIENTS

¼ cup +2 tablespoons yellow mustard
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons pickle juice
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper

CLASSIC POTATO SALAD INGREDIENTS

1 (5 ounce) bag russet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 tablespoon salt
1 cup crunchy celery, chopped
¾ cup green onions, chopped
½ cup dill pickles, chopped
4 large hard-boiled eggs, sliced
1 (6 ounce) can black olives, coarsely sliced

POTATO SALAD DRESSING INSTRUCTIONS

In a medium container, whisk together the mustard, mayonnaise, buttermilk, pickle juice, salt, and pepper until combined and creamy.
Set aside.

CLASSIC POTATO SALAD INSTRUCTIONS

Place peeled and chopped potatoes in a large pot, cover with cold water, and add 1 tablespoon of salt.
Bring to a boil (covered), tilt lid and continue boiling 10-12 minutes or until fork tender.
Drain the potatoes, transfer hot potatoes to a large bowl, pour dressing over hot potatoes, stir to combine.
Stir in the celery, onion, dill pickle, eggs, and olives.
Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

More Potato Salad Recipes

Quick and Easy Way to Make Homemade Buttermilk

This potluck potato salad only uses 1 cup of buttermilk (look below for ideas about using the remaining buttermilk). If you would like to skip the expense of buttermilk don’t worry it’s super easy to make your own!

HOMEMADE BUTTERMILK INGREDIENTS LIST

1 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar

HOMEMADE BUTTERMILK INSTRUCTIONS

Pour milk into a glass container or jar.
Add lemon juice or white vinegar, stir to combine.
Let the mixture sit for about 10 minutes at room temperature until milk starts to curdle and becomes acidic in flavor.
Use as directed in recipe.

How to Use Leftover Buttermilk

BUTTERMILK PANCAKES
BUTTERMILK RANCH DRESSING
FREEZE: Pour buttermilk into ice cube trays (1 tablespoon each). Once frozen, the cubes can be stored in a freezer bag, and since they are already measured, you can just pull out the number of tablespoon cubes you need.

IT THERE A SUBSTITUTE FOR BUTTERMILK?

YES, you can use sour cream or plain Greek yogurt. Keep in mind these two options are thicker than buttermilk. Adjust the milk portion accordingly.

MOST IMPORTANT STEP FOR A SUCESSFUL POTATO SALAD

To get the most flavor out of your dressing you should pour the dressing over hot potatoes. The potatoes will absorb all the flavors of the dressing. You will end up with a creamy chunky potato salad. The combination of the buttermilk, mustard and pickle juice will not turn the mayonnaise oily when poured over hot potatoes (like some recipe developers claim).

WHAT POTATOS ARE BEST FOR A SUCESSFUL POTATO SALAD

My go to potato to make potato salad is the classic russet potatoes. There are several other potato varieties that taste great and boil up perfectly too.

RED POTATOES
YUKON GOLD POTATOES
NEW POTATOES
FINGERLING POTATOES
RUSSET POTATOES

Classic Potato Salad Alterations

Although this favorite salad recipe is perfect as originally made there are a few ingredients that can be added. I could go on and on. I’ll stop with the few items listed below.

BACON BITS
SUNFLOWER SEEDS
SHREDDED CHEESE OR CHEESE CUBES
TRADITIONAL SPRINKLE OF PAPRIKA
RED ONION OR SWEET ONION CHOPPED
FRESH DILL
FRESH THYME
SWEET PICKLE RELISH
DIJON MUSTARD
CELERY SEED

HOW TO STORE POTATO SALAD

Store traditional potato salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator. TIP: Potato salad should not be left out in the summer heat. If serving the salad indoors the rule of thumb is to pack the mayo based salads up and refrigerate after 2 hours.

MORE POTLUCK SUMMER SALAD RECIPES

Below are a few of my favorite salad recipes. CLICK HERE FOR THE WHOLE COLLECTION→SALADS

LATEST POSTS

In conclusion, Old-Fashioned potato salad is more than just a dish to pass at a family gathering; it’s a symbol of tradition, comfort, and love. As we’ve explored in this article, there are countless variations of this beloved recipe, but they all share a common thread: the power to bring people together. Whether it’s a backyard BBQ or a holiday celebration, this simple yet delicious dish has the ability to create lasting memories and connections. So next time you’re invited to a potluck, consider bringing a batch of Mom’s potato salad and see the magic for yourself. And as the saying goes, “A potluck is a metaphor for life: Everyone brings something different, but together, it makes a perfect meal.” As for me, I’ll be reaching for another scoop of Mom’s classic potluck potato salad, and I hope you will too.💗Sheryl

Classic Potluck Potato Salad

Yield: Serve 12

Ingredients

For the Potato Salad Dressing:

¼ cup +2 tablespoons yellow mustard
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons dill pickle juice
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper

For the Classic Potato Salad:

1 (5 ounce) bag russet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 tablespoon salt
1 cup celery, chopped
¾ cup green onions, chopped
½ cup dill pickles, chopped
4 large boiled eggs, sliced or chopped
1 (6 ounce) can black olives, coarsely sliced

Instructions

For the Potato Salad Dressing:

In a medium container, whisk together the mustard, mayonnaise, buttermilk, pickle juice, salt, and pepper until combined and creamy.
Set aside.

For the Classic Potato Salad:

Place peeled and chopped potatoes in a large pot, cover with cold water, and add 1 tablespoon of salt.
Bring to a boil (covered), tilt lid and continue boiling 10-12 minutes or until fork tender.
Drain the potatoes, transfer hot potatoes to a large bowl, pour dressing over hot potatoes, stir to combine.
Stir in the celery, onion, dill pickle, eggs, and olives.
Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

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Mom’s Classic Potluck Potato Salad

Mom’s Secret Ingredient