Potato Salad as entree? Ideas?

[esteban]

I have lots of potatoes from my CSA, and was trying to decide what to make, at which point it occurred to me that it was perfectly reasonable to serve pasta salad or rice salad as an entree, but i was far less certain about potato salad. It just seemed less...well...normal. First, why is this--becuase there is rarely protien added to potato salad? Second, does anyone have any good ideas about entree-style potato salads? i also have lots of basil from the CSA as well, if that helps.
all help is appreciated. thanks

[mabziegurl]

i don't know if this is chinese potato salad, but my mom and grandma(dad's mom) makes potato salad unlike anything else... we eat them as the entree with a hot dog bun. there is diced ham, cucumbers, carrots, eggs, and the potatoes are mashed. its delicious, my mom says when she was little you could get it at the bakery in taiwan.

[Hungry Celeste]

While I realize that not everyone can make this at a moment's notice, it certainly counts as an entree-worthy potato salad and is a good way to use up leftovers. Have a traditional crawfish boil (think crawfish, corn, potatoes all boiled together in a big pot with beaucoup spices, garlic, onions). Peel leftover crawfish, cut up leftover boiled potatoes, cut leftover corn off the cob. Make homemade mayo, spike it with tabasco, diced devilled egg, lemon juice, and some finely minced shallots and lots of fresh chopped parsley. Mix all together in a bowl. Voila--crawfish potato salad.

[Pamela]

If you decide not to go the potato salad route, why not make curried chicken and potatoes? (Use a lot of potatoes, of course.)

[piccola]

In case you want a vegetarian option, hard-boiled eggs are great in potato salad, as are toasted cashew nuts.

[Terrie H.]

Try one that I like for tailgating -- potato salad with sliced sausages (like kielbasa) in a mustardy viniagrette. If you can grill the sausages before slicing, do it, but simmering the slices in some white wine and a pinch of sugar until glazed is also delicious. If desired, add onion, celery, chopped pickle, etc.

[toodie jane]

just what I was going to suggest--potatoes and sausages! Serve on a bed of baby greens with some red mustard greens. O-o-o-- spicey!

[older]

There are recipes for a hot potato salad if you google it. That would take it out of the ordinary to the different.

[alaughingdog]

Yes, one of our Sat. night suppers when I was a kid was a hot potato salad with bacon or ham and a vinegar dressing.

[TexasToast]

If you use small potatoes and cut them into rounds, do the same thing with scallops, sear the whole lot in EVOO and mix with truffle shavings, then you'd have my take on one of Gordon's recipes.

TT

[carswell]

I often make a potato salad adulterated with seasonal vegetables (green beans, corn, cherry tomatoes, peppers, onions/shallots/scallions), flavoured with herbs and sometimes cheese, dressed with a vinaigrette and topped with leftover roast beef, chicken, quail, salmon, what have you. Served on a bed of greens, it makes a great summer main.

Or boil/steam small red-skinned new potatoes in their jackets. Halve or quarter and combine with some celery sliced on the diagonal. Dress with a vinagrette made from Dijon mustard, fresh thyme, horseradish, white wine vinegar, olive oil and salt and pepper. Top with chicken breasts that have been marinated in whole-grain mustard, olive oil and thyme, grilled and sliced. Not only does the salad taste great, the pink and pale green combination is visually attractive. IIRC, it's a Charlie Trotter recipe.

[bigmackdaddy]

I always add dill and chunks of my favorite ham and shrimp. I'll soak the shrimp (shelled) in beer for an hour or two, pan fry them in some olive oile and salt then mix them in with red potato salad.

[oakjoan]

My mother used to make a wonderful Northern European potato salad every Xmas eve. It was the basic potatoes but had pickled herring, salami, apples, celery, onions, pickles, etc. Sounds weird, but tasted fantastic.

I don't know if this was part of her Swedish heritage or from a German friend. I'll look for the recipe if anybody's interested.

[zelda68]

One of the Barefoot Contessa cookbooks has a good potato salad as an entree recipe. I've had it once before and it was very good -- it's not her basic potato salad. This one has egg and green beans.

[Dommy]

Try a classic Niscoise Salad, which is potato salad topped with Tuna, VERY summery, so much so we made it for the 4th of July! :)

--Dommy!

[pikawicca]

I certainly would not classify Nicoise Salad as "potato salad topped with tuna." It's a composed salad that has steamed or boiled new potatoes as one ingredient among many.