What is a pantry staple recipe? It is one you can prep with ingredients you have on hand and keep around all the time. We are an ingredient household where creating recipes is a necessity.
I am not a huge potato salad fan because I find it too mushy, whether I bake or boil the potatoes. But when I saw the idea for this recipe, I wondered about it and got looking in the pantry. The original recipe called for canned whole potatoes that you cut in half. But even those can be mushy. But what doesn’t get mushy is canned cubed/diced potatoes. Those stay firm. I often buy those to stock in our pantry; they work great in soups and chowders. They can be harder to find in some regions, but when I find them, I stock up. Del Monte, Libby’s, and even Walmart make them.
I have included the Instant Pot method for hard-boiled eggs. If you use farm-fresh eggs, you know peeling them can be so hard when fresh. They tend to tear. In the Instant Pot, though, they come out perfect using the 5-5-5 method. It makes it well worth pulling out the Instant Pot to do it. I make a dozen at a time, so we have them on hand for snacking (the boys love them quartered and slipped into bowls of ramen).
Potato Salad
Ingredients:
- 3 cans 14.5-15 ounce diced potatoes
- 4 hard-boiled eggs
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1½ tsp Dijon mustard
- 3 Tbsp pickle relish (sweet or dill)
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp granulated garlic
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
Directions:
Drain and rinse the potatoes in a colander, gently shaking off the water. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk the mayonnaise and spices till smooth.
Gently toss the potatoes with the dressing.
Peel the hard-boiled eggs, slice them into quarters, and then chop.
Add the eggs to the potato salad and gently fold in.
Transfer to a glass container and chill for a few hours before serving.
Notes:
I used sweet relish as I had it on hand. Either version works, though I liked the light sweetness it adds. Try to find organic so you can avoid all the artificial food coloring that is used in pickles and relish.
Straight out of the chicken coop, these are about as fresh as one could get. And who needs to dye eggs with these?
Instant Pot Hardboiled Eggs
Ingredients:
- 1 dozen chicken eggs
- 1 cup water
Directions:
Wash eggs if farm fresh.
Place the metal trivet in the bottom of your Instant Pot (I place it so the metal arms are pointing up), and add the water.
Place the eggs on top of the trivet.
Put the lid on, and check the steam release to ensure it points correctly.
Depending on your model, use the “Egg” or regular “Pressure” setting, which is set for 5 minutes.
Let vent for 5 minutes, then release the valve to bring it down.
Fill your sink with a few inches of cold water and a rack of ice cubes (about 14). Transfer the eggs to the cold water with tongs and let them sit for 5 minutes.
Drain on paper towels.
Crack and peel the ones you need; otherwise, refrigerate the rest for later eating.
~Sarah