Best Potato Salad Recipe for Picnics
Best Potato Salad recipe for picnics (with fresh corn, bacon, peas, chives!) is the ultimate spring and summer potluck, or side dish to bring to any party!
Don’t you love a good Best Potato Salad Recipe for picnics? One that is full of color, veggies, a mixture of potatoes, with a little spunk to it, like maybe sweet red pepper, or a sweet, tangy sauce, or savory bacon, or a sweet bread and butter pickle, and fresh corn!?
Make your own potato salad and serve in the center of this Epic Hot Dog Board for a summer party!
Best Potato Salad
In the summer, farm stands and backyard gardens burst with produce, perfect for making this Best Potato Salad.
I’m not too keen on a gooey, too-mayonnaisey dressing though. For me, that can ruin a good potato salad.
My fondest potato salad memories go back to my mom’s recipe, which we always said was “the best,” because she cooked the dressing. It was scrumptious, but was also full of eggs and mayonnaise – drenched in dressing.
Best Potato Salad for picnics
This recipe is sweet, and even sweeter with the bread and butter pickles (I used Farmer’s Garden by Vlasic, Bread and Butter Chips). The yummy dressing (you add pickle juice and sugar), and then the garden veggies with fresh summer corn–oh, my! We also love Trader Joe’s brand.
Ingredients for Best Potato Salad
- Mixed fingerling potatoes
- Salt
- Mayonnaise
- Prepared mustard (this means regular hot dog mustard)
- Sugar
- Garlic clove
- Peas and fresh corn
- Bacon
- Bread and butter pickles + pickle juice
- Celery, sweet peppers, chives
Since we’re talking “sweet” here, I found this lovely picnic photo of a holiday 20 years ago in my parents’ backyard (1994). I love how carefree we all are, no phones (yay!), looks like a VCR, and a few of us getting ready to partake in a lovely holiday meal together. (Back in the day when we all drank too much soda:) I can guarantee that mom’s potato salad is in that yellow bowl! :)
Potato salad reminds me of camping, church picnics, family get togethers, and holiday dinners. (That’s me in the early 90’s floral shirt, very pregnant with our first son, 25 years ago!)
Rarely did my mom make it for a casual, weeknight meal. It always seemed to be for a special occasion.
Today I’m sharing my spin, and I hope you’ll enjoy it this summer as well.
More picnic ideas:
Summer Picnic Recipes and Tips {Two Peas and Their Pod}
Ultimate Manly Picnic Sandwich {Noble Pig}
Charcuterie Olive Kebabs Recipe {RE}
Get the Recipe:
Best Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 2 pounds mixed fingerling potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 Tbsp. salt
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 Tbsp. prepared mustard
- 1 Tbsp. pickle juice
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1 cup peas, cooked and drained
- 1 cup corn, cooked, cut off the cob
- 8 slices fully cooked bacon, chopped in large pieces
- 1/2 cup bread and butter pickles, chopped
- 1/2 cup celery, chopped
- 1/4 cup red sweet peppers
- 1/4 cup chives
Instructions
- Bring water to boil in a large pot; add in 1 Tbsp. of salt plus the chopped potatoes. Bring to a simmer and cook for abut 10-12 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Drain well.
- In a small bowl, make the dressing by adding the mayonnaise, mustard, pickle juice, sugar, and garlic. Mix together and set aside.
- Cook the peas and corn and allow to cool. Chop the bacon, pickles, celery, sweet peppers, and chives.
- Toss the potatoes gently with the dressing; allow to sit for about 10 minutes.
- Add in the remaining ingredients; salt and pepper to taste. Gently toss until mixed together.
Notes
This Best Potato Salad recipe was originally shared with you in June 2014. I’ve updated it with a video and photos.
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
It all sounds really delicious, but I think what really sold me was that it doesn’t have any hard boiled eggs!!! I plan to use sweet and spicy bread and butter pickles, since my clan has a penchant for a bit of heat!
I have to hear more about your mom cooking the dressing. How did she cook it?
Yes, we’re posting the cooked dressing soon:
3 egg yolks
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tbsp prepared mustard
1 tablespoon cornstarch or flour
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon vinegar
3 tablespoons butter
So good!
This potato salad turned out awesome. I halved the recipe. We love a little spice in our dishes so I added one fire roasted Anaheim pepper. The little kick of heat paired very well with the sweetness of the rest of the salad. Highly recommend!
Really amazing
I made this potato salad for a summer cook out. It was amazing! Everyone loves it
I myself like canned peas. Cauliflower would be a nice substitution for potatoes for those that are carb conscious, although corn and peas are good for you they contain extra carbs. Do you have the nutritional values for this recipe???
Love the new pics and video. I don’t make potato salad often, but this one looks amazing.
Do you cook the corn on the cobb first and then cut it or before? For the peas is it best to use frozen, canned or fresh?
Yes, cook the corn first! You can use fresh or frozen peas (not canned).
Can you make this ahead of time? Like a day? Or does it make it too soggy? Thanks!
If you make the salad ahead of time, hold out the bacon. Add the bacon right before serving! ENJOY!
I just made this and it is amazing! Thanks for sharing!
This looks yummy – is the pickle juice for the bread and butter pickles or savory pickle juice?
use the bread and butter pickle juice!
Thank you for this colorful recipe. It is one of the best salads we have tried lately and a Veritable rainbow of pure flavor.
I’d also add slices of radish and plenty of red onion. And don’t forget the cider vinegar to give it that tang. Maybe even a hint of horse radish, too. I’ll be trying this recipe this week.
I made this recipe for my son’s birthday dinner on June 25 served with steaks, wedge salad, rolls, and a purchased ice cream cake for dessert. We were going to go to a restaurant, but there was a change of plans the day before. Lit candles and a bouquet purchased from the supermarket divided into small vases were used for table decoration (I loved that hydrangeas were included in the mix!). Iceberg lettuce was cut in wedges & dressing prepared in the morning, along with shredded cheese and reserved bacon bits which made for easy salad assembly right before dinner. Steaks were prepared on the grill while guests chatted over drinks of choice and Gardetto snack mix placed in small bowls. I didn’t want to heat up the kitchen on the day of, so this colorful potato salad, prepared earlier in the day, was the perfect solution. Little did I know the guests would be talking about this salad days later! People who don’t usually like potato salad absolutely LOVED it. I followed the recipe exactly, using applewood smoked style bacon. Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe. I enjoy this blog and appreciate your tips and recipes.
Sandy, your potato salad looks wonderful! I will be making it for the 4th. I use a little pickle juice in mine too…it really makes a difference.
Love the potato salad, it looks beautiful! Love the picture of your family even more!!
This looks so delicious! It’s like a loaded delicious potato salad! I wish I had a bowl now!
Thank you for a potato salad that isn’t covered in mayonnaise. This is usually the reason I don’t eat potato salad. This looks great so I cant wait to try it for 4th of July. :)
Wow, made this last night and loved it, thank you!
You’re always sharing new ideas for combinations of ingredients. What a unique mix with the Bread & Butter pickles and juice in the dressing. If you say this is “The Best” – I’ll be trying it! Thanks! I just made an Old Faithful recipe for potato salad that uses olive oil & plain yogurt with mustard and lots of fresh herbs. Thanks Sandy.
YUM! I”ll have to try this…I don’t make Potato salad often because I’ve never been good at it…lol…compared to others I’ve tasted…I like your twist though.
Your bowl full of potato salad looks like pure goodness!
Oooh, this DOES look like the best. Love your picnic photo!
My mother also made the best potato salad and now my niece makes it from her recipe. One year my niece decided to change it up a bit but her cousins quickly put a stop to that! Got to love those traditions:)
now! That looks yummy…and so appealing to the eye!