As barbecue season approaches, it's time to perfect your potato salad recipe with one ingredient a chef prefers over mayonnaise. There's nothing quite like a delicious potato salad to complement dinner on a warm spring or summer evening, but it can sometimes feel too rich and greasy. While mayonnaise adds creaminess, it can often overpower other flavors.
Instead, restaurant chef and owner Mike, from the recipe blog Chef Mike Hard, recommends cream cheese as a better ingredient. He says: "Your potato salad is missing this one thing, especially if you're a 'not big on mayo' kind of person. This ingredient flips the taste, transforms the texture, and will make you a true believer."
The chef adds: "Cream cheese changes everything. It gives the salad tang and creaminess without drowning it in mayo. It's what sets your potato salad apart at the cookout and keeps your guests coming back for more."
The addition of cream cheese results in a cool, creamy, lightly sweet, and satisfyingly savory side dish that cuts through smoked meats.
Ingredients (serves up to 10)
- 726g potatoes, cut into three-quarter-inch cubes
- 9g sea salt
Dressing
- 113g cream cheese, softened
- Half a teaspoon dill pickle juice
- 30ml sweet relish
- One tablespoon yellow mustard
- Half a tablespoon Dijon mustard
Seasoning Blend
- Quarter teaspoon paprika
- Half teaspoon sea salt
- Quarter teaspoon black pepper
- Half teaspoon celery salt
- Half teaspoon granulated onion powder
- Quarter teaspoon granulated garlic powder
- One tablespoon white sugar
Mix-ins
- Half tablespoon fresh dill leaves
- 15g diced pimientos
- Half celery stick, diced
- Quarter onion, diced
- One large hard-boiled egg, diced
Method
Place cubed potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Add sea salt and bring to a boil. Cook until fork-tender, about six to eight minutes. Drain but do not rinse, and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine softened cream cheese, dill pickle juice, sweet relish, yellow mustard, and Dijon mustard. Mix until smooth and creamy. Stir in paprika, sea salt, black pepper, celery salt, granulated onion, granulated garlic, and white sugar. Mix well.
Add fresh dill, pimentos, celery, onion, and hard-boiled egg to the bowl and mix. Gently fold in cooked potatoes until fully coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least four hours or overnight to let flavors meld. Serve chilled, garnished with extra paprika.
