I didn’t become a fan of potato salads until I realized that my homemade ones didn’t have to resemble the typical store-bought version, heavily coated in a mayonnaise-based dressing. If I put a creamy dressing on potato salad, it’s usually one of the variations I shared last week in my Twice as Tasty column for the Flathead Beacon. I far prefer the tangy combination of yogurt and sour cream over the cloying richness of mayonnaise when making Potato Salad with Pickles. Likewise, Sweet Potato-Mushroom Salad benefits from the tart-and-sweet flavor Creamy Balsamic Salad Dressing.

The potato salad recipe I share in this week’s column pulls together flavors from some of these recipes but mostly stands out for its ease and speed, which make it a staple of my personal boating meals and my Fine Dining: Front Country workshops. Ready-to-serve artichoke hearts and olives add zing. Carrots travel well, but I often substitute other fresh ingredients I need to use from the cooler: bell pepper, snap beans or peas, asparagus, cucumber, scallions and more. Hard-boiled eggs provide instant protein.
Learn to make Quick Potato Salad