With the “Fourth of July” just around the corner, I’m sure many people are thinking about what they’re going to serve at their annual Independence Day cook-out or picnic. I know I am! At this point, here’s what’s on the menu for my holiday feast:
Deviled Eggs
Veggie Tray
“Beddar With Cheddar” Smoked Sausages
Barbecue Potato Chips
Italian Potato Salad
“Red, White, and Blue” Parfaits
“Drumsticks” Ice Cream Cones
A very simple — yet tasty — menu that’s VERY easy to prepare. Of all the items on my menu, the Italian Potato Salad is about the only one that will require some time to prepare, BUT it’s my favorite thing on the menu. I’ve been making Italian Potato Salad for decades, and a cook-out or picnic just wouldn’t be the same without it — as far as I’m concerned!
So, yeah… With America’s Independence Day celebration, a cook-out or picnic (depending upon the weather) will be part of my plans, so it’s time to break out the recipe for Italian Potato Salad — from my beloved “Betty Crocker’s Cookbook” and get started on it! So… Without further ado, here’s this week’s featured “Tasty Tuesdays” recipe.
Italian Potato Salad
2 pounds potatoes (about 6 medium)
1 small onion, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup Italian Dressing [homemade or store-bought]
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
1 medium stalk celery, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
2 hard-cooked eggs, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup sliced pimiento-stuffed olives or pitted ripe olives
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Heat 1 inch salted water (1/2 teaspoon salt to 1 cup water) to boiling. Add potatoes. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and cook until tender, 30 to 35 minutes. Drain and cool.
- Cut potatoes into cubes; stir in onion, Italian Dressing, salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
- Just before serving, toss with mayonnaise until potatoes are well coated. Stir in celery, eggs, olives, Parmesan cheese and the dried oregano leaves.
4 TO 6 SERVINGS
Recipe notes:
If I’m in a hurry to make a batch of Italian Potato Salad, I’ll often skip the “cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours” step. However, I’ve found that the longer the potatoes are allowed to marinate in the Italian Dressing, the tastier the final product will be.
As I was transcribing the recipe for this “Tasty Tuesdays” post, I realized that I often do NOT add the celery and eggs when I’ve been making Italian Potato Salad lately. If you like “crunch” in your potato salad, then go ahead and add the celery. As for the eggs, I might start putting slices of hard-boiled egg on the top of my batch of Italian Potato Salad — just like Mom always did when she made her favorite potato salad.
I certainly hope you’ll give Italian Potato Salad, my cook-out/picnic staple, a try and then let me know what you think about it. In addition, if you’ve got any “go-to” recipes for cook-outs and/or picnics, I’d love to hear what they are, so please take a moment to leave a comment below — AND share the recipe with me! I enjoy trying new recipes!!