Potato Salad Bake Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you know if a potato is baked enough? ›

Simply slide the tip of a knife or skewer into the thickest part of the potato. If it pierces the center easily and meets no resistance, your baked beauties are ready to serve. You can also use an instant-read thermometer; inserted into the center of the potato, the temperature should read 208-211˚F.

Because classic potato salad is basically a softened potato mixture with mayonnaise, its flavor can be slightly bland. According to The Kitchn, you can perk up your potato salad with an easy, tasty hack, and it doesn't require any extra work: simply add pickle brine.

If you'd like to add a little extra color and texture to your salad, leave the skins on. Just be sure to scrub them thoroughly with a vegetable brush before you cook them.

Raw potatoes contain solanine and lectins, two compounds that can cause gastric distress and potentially make you sick. Additionally, raw potatoes contain resistant starch, which is difficult to digest, and their overall taste and texture is nothing like the potatoes you know and love.

Peel potatoes, if desired, and cut them into 1 inch chunks. Make Potato Salad Dressing: Mix together egg yolks, mayonnaise, buttermilk, mustard, a splash of pickle juice, and salt and pepper, to taste. Combine: Pour dressing over the potatoes. Add chopped egg whites, celery, onion, and pickles.

But the truth is, mayonnaise isn't your main concern when it comes to spoilage. The actual culprit is the potatoes.

Pick the Best Potatoes for Your Potato Salad

To keep your salad from falling apart into mush, it's important to use the best potatoes for potato salad. Skip the russet potatoes and use a waxy variety instead, like Yukon gold, red potatoes or fingerlings.

Drop a whole russet into the pot and by the time the outside has cooked through, the inside will still be raw. Larger potatoes should be cubed to ensure they cook evenly (peeled first if desired). Smaller potatoes tend to have thin skins and can be boiled whole, no peeling required.

The key is to allow the potatoes to dry and become cold before you make the salad. If you cut hot, boiled potatoes, they tend to crumble. If you wait until they had time to dry (may I suggest laying them out on a plate or casserole dish during this time) and cold, they cut nicer.

In general small or cubed potatoes will take about 10 to 15 minutes to boil, while larger, whole potatoes will take between 20 to 25 minutes. To check potatoes for doneness, insert a knife into one. If it slides in without much effort, you're good to go!

How do you tell if a baked potato is undercooked? ›

I can grab the potato out of the oven with a mitt, and use my hands to hold it while I poke a fork into the middle of the largest part of the potato, it should pierce the center easily with little resistance and come out dry rather than moist.

After 10 minutes, check the potatoes for doneness by piercing one piece with a fork. If the fork easily pierces the center of the potato, they are done. If it meets resistance, boil for another 2 minutes, and check again.

Visual signs: The potato skin will start to wrinkle when over cooked. The potato, when wrapped in foil or placed on the bottom of a pan will have a dark brown spot on the bottom, a sure sign of over cooking. Foil traps the moisture in the potato causing the skin to be wet and the inside flavorless or gummy.

Don't exceed the recommended cooking time because potatoes will continue to cook after they're removed from the oven and the skin will get dry. "Another common mistake is letting the potato rest or cool before cutting. This is not meat and the potato doesn't get better with resting.