Our eleventh Family History Recipe comes from Mike and is for Kathy’s German Potato Salad.
Mike let us know that “[t]his is a dish that was a staple anytime we had a family outing or get together. It was most commonly seen on holidays like Easter and Christmas. It would also pop up at family BBQs and occasionally throughout the year. It's supposed to be served warm, but I would often eat it cold and straight out of the fridge.”
Bacon and potatoes? We’re happy with that combo no matter what form it takes. Taste Tester Jolana felt the same as us. This recipe was delicious! So delicious, in fact, that in a Tasting History first, the taste tester licked the plate clean! If that’s not a clear sign this recipe is a winner, we don’t know what is.
Recipe: Kathy’s German Potato Salad
I've attached my mom's recipe for German Potato Salad. This recipe doesn't have a super long history, she adapted it from a 1953 Betty Crocker Cookbook. I've attached an image of the original recipe too.
This is a dish that was a staple anytime we had a family outing or get together. It was most commonly seen on holidays like Easter and Christmas. It would also pop up at family BBQs and occasionally throughout the year. It's supposed to be served warm, but I would often eat it cold and straight out of the fridge. It pairs well with ham as a main entree and ideally with a nice cold Utica Club (or other pilsner) to cut through all that fat. I've only tried making it once and decided to cut down on the bacon which (of course) was a mistake! - Mike
Ingredients:
- 1 lb of bacon
- 5 lbs russet potatoes
- 1 large onion
- 3 stalks of celery
- ¾ - 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- ¾ cup water
- ¼ cup flour
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- Black pepper
Directions:
- Start by rinsing the russet potatoes and boiling them in a large saucepan till you can stick a fork in them - do not overcook - drain and cool; when cool you can peel them; cut and slice into pieces putting them back into the large pan.
- In a large frying pan, fry the bacon until very crisp, drain on paper towel; cool. I then put the bacon into a large baggie and crunch up and save for the topping. Note: You will probably have to fry the bacon half a pound at a time so after you drain the first half, pour the hot grease into a large Pyrex measuring cup or small pan to reserve it for the sauce. I sometimes have to clean out the frying pan with a paper towel after I’ve saved all the grease in a separate container if there are a lot of burnt pieces. Pour all the grease back into the frying pan; stir in half a stick of butter which will melt.
- I then cut up the onion, celery and put in the frying pan with bacon grease mixture cooking on low heat; add 1 tablespoon of sugar; let them caramelize a bit till yellow; then while stirring, add ¼ cup of flour; 1 tsp salt; several shakes of black pepper; ¾ cup apple cider vinegar; ¾ cup water; continue to stir while thickens till bubbly, cooking for another minute. Note: if you find the mixture too thick; add equal amounts of vinegar and water ¼ cup at a time.
- Then pour the mixture over the potatoes stirring until the potatoes are covered thoroughly and cook on low heat simmering for a few minutes. Pour into a large bowl and top with the bacon; serve.
This recipe is great for making a day or two ahead of time; keep in fridge then heat on low temperature carefully – stirring as it heats.
(Hot German potato salad revised from 1953 Betty Crocker Cookbook)