Great Potato Salad Recipe Ideas to Jazz Up Your Barbecue or Picnic

Potatoes are a staple item on most grocery shopping lists. Potato salads are an American part of culture, especially during the warmer months. They garnish the tables of picnics, barbecues, and summer special occasions and parties. Potatoes are inexpensive and easily feed a crowd. Buying potato salad already made at the grocery store or some gourmet deli counter can be expensive--- far more expensive than making it yourself. Additionally, you will probably make better potato salad than you can buy, because you can dress it up and add all the ingredients you want so that it is perfect for your family's tastes. Furthermore, once you boil the potatoes you can separate them into two containers so that you can make two kinds of potato salads if you like, catering to two kinds of tastes. Whether you are looking for a low calorie potato salad, or a creamy potato salad, or a mustard based potato salad, or a crispy or vinegar based potato salad, the world is your oyster in creating mouth watering potato salad that is both low cost and fresher than any deli and you control every single ingredient, including the lack of unwanted preservatives!

Classic Southern or American potato salad consists of potatoes, hard boiled eggs, chopped celery, sweet relish, mayonnaise, prepared mustard and salt and pepper to taste. Part of the fun of making potato salad can be not measuring ingredients. Afterall, you know whether you like your salads heavy or light with mayonnaise. You know if you like your salad with a mustard taste or not. You know if you don't want salt in your salad. That said, expand your mind and creativity to how you can jazz up your potato salads for both eye appeal and tongue tantalizing taste.

Here are 25 tips to create your own signature potato salad.

First, boil your potatoes until they are tender and drain and rinse them under cold water. Peel and chop or slice them and you are ready to get started.

1. Consider using your favorite bottled salad dressing instead of mayonnaise. You can make a wonderful potato salad using honey mustard salad dressing, or balsamic vinegar, or zesty Italian dressing, or even a creamy cool cucumber dressing. It's a great change of pace and flavor. Kids might especially love a potato salad made with ranch dressing.

2. Try chopped bell pepper instead of celery. The colorful red , orange and yellow bell peppers not only add color to your potato salad, they have a sweeter taste than their green counterpart.

3. If you love onions, try using chopped green onion for both color and flavor variety.

4. Try going eggless. Potato salad doesn't have to have eggs and can still taste great!

5. Don't underestimate the power and flavor of chicken bouillon cubes! You can boil your potatoes in chicken bouillon for added infused flavor, or you can even use some dry chicken broth seasoning sprinkled on the potatoes in the mixing process. Chicken bouillon can be a great and simple extra seasoning kick.

6. Use fresh parsley for garnish. Use paprika for a pretty and tasty garnish also, on mayonnaise based potato salad.

7. Crumbled bacon makes a nice and flavorful touch to potato salad. It can be simply used as garnish, or a key ingredient.

8. If you like hot and spicy foods, consider trying a few dashes of cayenne pepper sauce. If you like indian foods, consider using some curry powder as a potato salad flavor enhancement.

9. Heavy cream or sour cream can be used in addition to mayonnaise if you like an old fashioned and comforting potato salad and you are not concerned about calories. A little milk can be used to stretch out a dressing for potato salad too.

10. Adding grated parmesan cheese to an Italian dressing based potato salad tastes wonderful

11. Adding grated cheddar cheese to a mayonnaise based potato salad can be a real hit, especially with kids.

12. Consider using olives and pimentos or pimento stuffed olives for a European style potato salad.

13. Chopped or grated carrots can be used in place of celery or in addition to celery in almost any potato salad.

14. Use honey mustard or hot and spicy mustard for a variety of mustard added to your potato salad.

15. Mix your potato salad up using some sweet potatoes for a great change of pace and taste.

16. Make a hot german potato salad, served warm, with bacon drippings and onion and a little flour, bacon and white vinegar and sugar.

17. Use your favorite pickle juice from the bottle for added zest to your potato salad.

18. Experiment with different flavors by trying an ingredient or 2 with one lone potato to see if you like the direction the flavor is taking.

19. Consider adding a little sugar or sugar substitute for a sweeter potato salad.

20. Add smoked turkey or ham cubes for variety.

21. Try making a green bean potato salad using fresh trimmed green beans that have been cooked until slightly tender.

22. Use minced fresh garlic or garlic powder for added flavoring.

23. For a low calorie and mexican touch of flavor try picante sauce or salsa and mix in a bit of lime juice and sprinkle with extra sharp grated cheddar cheese or ppperjack cheese. You can garnish with some chopped green onions and some fresh raw corn kernels.

24. For an Italian style potato salad try using garbanzo beans, Italian vinaigrette dressing, black olives and pieces of salami or pepperoni.

25. Stir in red wine vinegar or raspberry vinegar for added flavor and zest.

Potato salad varieties are as endless as your imagination and tastes. Whether you like jalapeño peppers, or crispy peas, or blue cheese, you can mix and match flavors that enhance each other, as well as the potatoes. With a multitude of bottled salad dressings available on your local grocery store shelf, you really have it easy to slant the direction of taste too! Decide first whether you want a mayonnaise based or vinegar based potato salad, and from there you will instinctively know where your recipe adventure will take you. Have fun creating your own signature style potato salad and who knows, you may have so many people asking for your recipe, you will have to name your potato salad after yourself!