How Many People Does a Pound of Potato Salad Feed
Potato salad is an all-time favorite at barbecues and gatherings.
We've all been there: standing in the kitchen, scooping up potato salad with a spoonful of mayonnaise clinging to its side like a melting ice cream cone, thinking:
"How much potato salad does this recipe make?
How many people am I cooking for?"
These questions often lead to over or underdoing it when it comes to making your scrumptious dish – but take solace knowing that you're not alone!
The answer lies below.
How much potato salad per person?
You can have about a cup of potato salad per person. This is about 0.4 pounds for a side dish.
If you want to have a main dish, you can have half a pound for each person at the table.
For example, with 10 people, you will need 4 pounds (about 10 cups) of potatoes salad.
If there is just potato salad
When you are serving just potato salad for lunch or dinner, you need to serve 0.6 lbs per person. That is 1.5 cups.
If your friends and family like potatoes, then it may be the same amount as the main dish. But keep in mind that there will always be people who want more so make 30% more than what you need!
What goes well with potato salad
This is a dish that you can serve with different things. You may want to add some grilled meats like beef, corn, and a salad on the side.
But if you are going for something else, you can make the dish vegan by using olive oil and vinegar instead of mayo (or vegan mayo). You could add mushrooms or tofu on the grill if desired.
How to make the dish taste even better?
If you want your salad to be more filling, you can add some bacon or peas. You can cook the peas lightly to make them taste sweet and earthy.
Add mushrooms and boiled eggs. Mushrooms can be cooked really well and they might turn brown. Add boiled eggs and the egg yolk will make everything even creamier.
Don't put vegetables that are watery like cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini, or eggplant. If you want to put these vegetables in your dish, you should first cook them and then add them. You will get less juice at the bottom of your dish if you do this.
You should also use some spices like chili flakes, cumin, onions, garlic, turmeric, curry powder, or herbs like rosemary dill cilantro celery basil.
What type of potato is the best for potato salad?
Potatoes that are firm and have a waxy texture.
Some good potatoes for this are Yukon gold, red potatoes, yellowfin, Anya, Charlotte, Cornish kings, and Jersey Royals. These type of potatoes will keep their shape after cooking and stay firm even after boiling in water.
Potatoes are best for making the sald if they are cooked all the way through before you put them in. If you let them boil for too long then they will turn into mashed potatoes.
So drain them from boiling water 2-3 minutes before they are done cooking.
Secret tips from the pros
There are many ways to make this dish. Maybe you like it with mayonnaise, or maybe you like it with a light vinaigrette.
But before you dress and season the salad, it is best to have some tips for making sure that your potato salad will be just right.
For even cooking, cut the potatoes before cooking them
Cut potatoes before cooking them. Cutting the potatoes evenly will ensure that they are all cooked through at the same rate. Cut cold, boiled potatoes with a knife, not with your hands.
Mix it like it's warm, not hot!
You might want to wait a little bit before dressing your potato salad.
If you dress it while the potatoes are still hot, the sauce will soak into them and they won't taste as good.
But if you like your potato salad warm, then put on the dressing at least a minute before serving it so that the egg in mayonnaise doesn't cook and makes a watery mess of all of the dressing.
Let potatoes dry first
Potatoes should be dry before you mix them with dressing and other food. Put a strainer on top of a pot, and pour the potatoes in.
Let the water drip out of the strainer, then put some aluminum foil on top to keep it from getting too dry. You could also make a thinner dressing that will let the potatoes sit for 10 minutes after they are mixed.
Add colorful seasonings and garnishes
Add colorful ingredients to your salad so it looks appetizing. Sometimes people don't want to eat a salad if the food doesn't look good.
But adding some color can make it more appealing. For example, chili flake, corn, chopped herbs, pepper, and salt could be a nice addition to the creamy potatoes in your salad. You could also use peas or bacon fat for more variation of color and flavor!
FAQ's
How much does 5 lbs of potato salad feed?
Five pounds of potatoes will feed 10 people. So if you want to feed 10 people, then use 5 pounds of potatoes.
How much potato salad is one serving?
One serving here is one cup or half a pound, which weighs ten ounces. Sometimes it depends on other dishes that are available. People may eat more than just a cup or half a pound because there might not be many other choices.
How many servings is 3 lbs of potato salad?
3 pounds of potato salad is enough for 6-10 people. And it will depend on how you cook the dish.
How do you keep potato salad from getting watery?
To keep things from being too watery, let the potatoes cool before mixing them with the other ingredients.
Once they are cooled, put them in a single layer on a baking sheet and pour vinegar over them. The vinegar will take out the water from the potatoes so that it does not run all over your dish.
Why does my potato salad taste fizzy?
The fizziness here means that bacteria are growing. If potatoes don't taste right, or if they taste a little sour, then it is spoiled. Throw them away.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the amount of potato salad you need to make for each person is going to depend on a lot of factors.
We recommend that you start with 0.5 pound and adjust according to what works best for your event. The bottom line? You can't go wrong if you just prepare enough so that there's plenty leftover!
Source: https://elpasony.com/how-much-potato-salad-per-person-is-enough/