Perfect potato salad

I have been searching for the perfect potato salad recipe for years. My husband doesn't eat potato salad so I make it for myself as a special treat when I make something that he likes that I do not. That means I get to make it exactly to my taste. Now that is my kind of recipe!

So after looking at dozens of recipes and trying out several here is what I came up with this afternoon. This is mostly a traditional southern recipe. It is practically perfect but I'll probably keep experimenting because that is just the way I am!

Ingredients:

3 pounds red skinned potatoes- skin left on
4 eggs
1 tablespoon vinegar
1/2 whole bread and butter pickle
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup yellow mustard
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/4 small onion very finely minced (or you can do like Rachel Ray and grate it)


1. Place whole potatoes and cold water in a large pot and place on stove over high heat. Bring to a boil and reduce to medium-high. Cook until tender. Drain. Allow to cool enough so that you can handle them. Cut potatoes into eighths.

2. Place eggs in same pot after you have run cold water over the pot to cool it. Fill pot with cold water at least one inch above the eggs. Add tablespoon of vinegar. Place on stove over high heat. Bring to rapid boil and remove from heat. Let sit for 15 minutes. Run under cold water until they are cool enough to handle. Remove peel. Dice the eggs into small even pieces.

3. Cut pickle into small half moons.

4. Combine mayo, mustard, salt and pepper.

5. Combine potatoes, eggs, pickles, mayo mixture and onion in a large bowl. Refrigerate for several hours and serve cold.

Ham and Cheese Quiche

I love to make quiche. It is my absolute favorite way to use up leftovers. Well, maybe pizza is. Ok if I never ate anything besides quiche and pizza (and ice cream) for the rest of my life I could be happy. But if I did, then I wouldn't have all these yummy leftovers to use up!

As I told you earlier this week I bought 20 packages of cheese over the weekend. I also had some leftover ham and I always have eggs so the first thing that came to mind was ham and cheese quiche.

I remember as recently as a year ago I would buy a frozen pie crust and think that I was getting a good deal because it was only $1.00. Ha! I don't love making my own and I certainly don't love washing my 25 year old non dishwasher safe food processor, or as I like to call it the tank, but I sure do love those savings!

I use the Better Homes and Gardens single pie crust recipe. Since I follow the directions exactly, I'll just link to that recipe.

Here is my own original "filling" recipe:

7 large eggs

1/2 cup milk

6 ounces cheddar cheese, 2 ounces reserved

1 cup diced ham

1/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp mustard powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp pepper (please do not use fake pepper in the can)

pinch garlic powder

1 prebaked pie crust

1. Prebake the pie crust according to the recipe.

2. Whip eggs & milk together until they are light and frothy.

3. Add all other ingredients except for the 2 ounces of reserved cheddar cheese, stir together until well combined.

4. Pour into prebaked pie crust.

5. Sprinkle remaining 2 ounces cheese over top of quiche.

6. Bake at 325 degrees for approximately 1 hour.

7. Let cool 10 minutes before serving to allow the quiche to fully set.

I am going to start adding serving suggestions to my recipe posts because that is something that always interests me on the blogs that I read. I love reading what others serve with things. It just gives me so many ideas!

Serving suggestions:

Citrus Spinach Salad

basic chopped salad

sauteed zucchini