I decided to look for an easy potato salad recipe that used instant mashed potatoes. That really cuts down on the labor and preparation time as you don't peel, cut and cook the potatoes.
Perhaps I've become lazy ... but I found this recipe on the Internet and decided to give it a try ... with me making some minor but important ingredient changes, like the addition of sour cream and increasing the amount of diced sweet onion, etc. I note that this is an egg potato salad, meaning eggs are a key part and not simply a decorative topping. In any event, the use of eggs makes this Potato Salad II quite different from the other Food Nirvana potato salad.
I made this potato salad and it is very good in texture but not quite in the excellent class. I prefer having some small lumps of potatoes, but that is simply personal preference. Still, it is quite nice given the ease in making it, and the flavor is excellent. The best flavors develop when you refrigerate the potato salad overnight.
Ingredients: (Makes 2 1/2 quarts of potato salad)
3 cups of instant potato flakes
3 cups of boiling water
1⁄2 cup of diced dill pickle spears
1/4 cup of diced sweet gherkins
4 large stalks of celery, chopped
1 small sweet onion, diced
1⁄2 cup of chopped green pimento stuffed manzanilla olives
2 cups of mayonnaise
2 teaspoons of prepared yellow mustard
1/2 cup of sour cream
5 extra large eggs, hard-boiled, peeled and chopped
1 extra large egg, hard-boiled, peeled and sliced (use an egg slicer)
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1 teaspoon of celery salt
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
Directions:
Mix the potato flakes, mustard, sea salt, celery salt, diced dill pickle and diced gherkins in a three quart metal bowl.
Add three cups of boiling water to the mixture gradually, while stirring with a large spoon to moisten the potato flakes.
Stir until the mixture is fairly stiff. If it is too dry then add a small amount of hot water and stir to complete the mixing.
Cover the bowl and let the mixture stand for five minutes.
Add the five chopped eggs, garlic powder, celery, onion, mayonnaise, sour cream and chopped olives.
Mix well, make the top surface smooth, then put the egg slices on top.
Cover the potato salad and chill it for four or more hours in the refrigerator.
Enjoy!