Judy's Mustard Potato Salad

There is an on-going disagreement in our family about potato salad. There are at least 3 different versions of this favorite dish brought to nearly every covered-dish get-together we have.

I've always claimed that my version, Judy's Potato Salad, is the one made by our grandmother when we were children. Then there is the version my sister makes that I believe she borrowed from her German friends! But the most heated discussion is over which potato salad our favorite uncle favored - his daughter's or mine. He often said mine was his favorite! I'll let you decide if mine suits YOU!

Ingredients:

5 pounds potatoes, cooked (use the variety for mashing)

3 or 4 hard-boiled eggs

¼ cup onion, chopped

½ cup celery, chopped

1 small jar pimento

¾ cup sweet pickle relish

Salt

Pepper

Paprika

Mayonnaise

Yellow mustard

Peel and cut the potatoes into medium size pieces. Cook the potatoes in a large stew pot with enough water to cover while boiling. Drain in a colander and place potatoes in a large mixing bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste, about 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, and about ¼ cup milk. Mix with electric mixer until potatoes are smooth.

Add chopped eggs, onion and celery. Add pimento and pickle relish. Add mayonnaise and yellow mustard to taste (approximately ½ cup mayonnaise and ¼ cup mustard). If potatoes are too watery at this point add less mayonnaise. Add more salt and pepper if needed.

I usually do the taste test and add more of any of the ingredients if I feel the salad is lacking something!

Place in serving bowl and sprinkle top with paprika. My grandmother usually boiled one or two more eggs that she sliced and used to decorate the top of her potato salad.

Cover and place in refrigerator until cold. Do not cover with aluminum foil; use plastic or glass instead. Foil will discolor eggs and possibly interact with mayonnaise.

Potatoes are easier to peel if you rinse them first with water. I learned that from my mother-in-law. It works, too!

Grandma used to use a little vinegar as well as mustard. I rarely do, but the vinegar tastes great! Another on-going joke in our family is one concerning my husband and squash relish. It is a well-known fact that he cannot stand squash and declares no one can trick him into eating the stuff. My youngest sister decided to give it a try. She and her husband usually have a garden and one year it was overrun with squash. She spent hours in the kitchen making squash relish and had our youngest granddaughter, who was about 7 years old at the time, help her. You guessed it - at the next family get-together she served her version of potato salad, told my husband after he had eaten more than his share that it had the dreaded squash relish mixed in. We've never known whether she actually put squash relish in the potato salad or not, but it certainly comes up at every meal where potato salad is served! Enjoy!