Large serving bowl of creamy potato salad sprinkled with paprika on a red, white, and blue picnic table at an outdoor gathering.

Classic Potato Salad

Name: Classic Potato Salad
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 180 min
Yield: 16 servings
Ingredients: 10 medium russet potatoes; 8 large eggs; 1–1 ½ cups mayonnaise; 2–3 tablespoons yellow mustard; ½ white onion; 2 stalks celery stalks; ½ cup dill pickles or sweet pickles; 1 teaspoon garlic salt; 1 ½ teaspoons salt; ½ teaspoon black pepper; As needed paprika; 2 large eggs

Potatoes drink in the creamy mustard dressing as this salad chills. Each scoop has the soft and crisp textures of the familiar picnic classic.

By Betty Lou Gardner3 hrUpdated 2026-08-25

This classic potato salad is creamy, tangy, and filled with familiar flavors that never seem to go out of style! Tender potatoes, eggs, celery, pickles, and mustard come together in a rich dressing that becomes even better after a few hours in the refrigerator. It's a timeless side dish that's equally at home at summer cookouts, family reunions, holiday gatherings, and weekend suppers.

Betty Lou Gardner in a family archival photograph

Granny’s Kitchen Notes

From Betty Lou Gardner

I don't think there's ever been a family picnic without a bowl of potato salad somewhere on the table. I usually make it the day before because it always tastes better after the potatoes have had time to soak up all the flavor. Right before serving, I give it a stir and sometimes add a little extra mayonnaise if it looks like the potatoes have gotten hungry overnight.