Grandma Wilma's Famous Potato Salad

Ok, here I go.  I watched and watched Wilma make her potato salad to see if I could make it like hers.  Wilma, bless her heart, was an amazing cook.  She didn't measure but to quote her " It won't be any good if you don't use ...."  Like, she swore by KC Masterpiece in her BBQ and Miracle Whip in her potato salad.  She wouldn't make it if she didn't have the right ingredients.  Well I did eventually master her potato salad.  I also am not good at measuring, but I did so I could share this recipe.  I am going to tell you, this recipe makes a very large amount of potato salad, but that is what it takes to go around at our house.  It is so yummy! I made this for Easter dinner.  You can cut the recipe in half or even fourths.

To start out you will need

10 lb of russet potatoes, 1 1/2 large onions, one 16 oz jar sweet pickles, 2 dozen boiled eggs,
2 1/2 cups (1) 30 oz jar Miracle Whip, 1/4 cup juice from your sweet pickles, 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar ( I know I have white vinegar shown here. Sorry, you can use it. I just prefer apple cider vinegar.),
1/4 cup yellow mustard,3/4 cup sugar and 1/2 cup evaporated milk.






Now, make sure you use a large pan because you have a lot of taters there.  Peel and wash the potatoes and put them in the pan, filling it just over the top of the potatoes and cook them until fork tender.  Not to mushy! And, you may also stir them if you use a lot of potatoes.  The weight of the potatoes may cause them to lay right next to the bottom and scorch a potato or two (been there done that).

After they are fork tender, drain them in a collendar and put them back in the big ole pan.  You will be using this pan to add the rest of the ingredients and mix it up.  Let the potatoes cool for a while.  In the mean time, you can dice your onions



I cut my onions in half for easier dicing and then
slice them and turn it to the side and slice again.
Perfectly diced onions.
(The candle is a must when dicing onions, especially 2 large ones.  It keeps you from crying )

Then you dice your sweet pickles and your eggs
 I guess in no particular order I just like to get the
 onions out of the way.

 

Now you start dicing your potatoes
I just take my knife and start slashing them until they are pretty small chunks.  You will need to use a spoon and stir the potatoes up to get them all cut.  You could use a potato smasher for this but I like chunky potato salad just like Wilma's.


After you get your potatoes diced add you eggs, onions and sweet pickles right into the pan with the potatoes.  Mix this up really well to get your eggs, onions and pickles through out your potatoes.

Next, you start your dressing and this is the important part, besides the eggs,  you need bunches of eggs to make this salad.
You will need the Miracle Whip, mustard, vinegar, sugar, evaporated milk and don't forget the sweet pickle juice.

You just put it all together into a mixing bowl and mix it up good.  I use a large wisk, a spoon works well also.  Dump this dressing into your potato, egg, pickle and onion mixture and mix and mix. When its well mixed you dump it into a large container.

And there you go, Grandma Wilma's famous potato salad.   Put this in the fridge and let sit for at least a day. It makes the flavors of all the goodies go through and Oh its yummy!  ~ Ethel