Name: Mashed Potato Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 260 min
Ingredients: 1 32-ounce package cubed frozen hash browns; 4 boiled eggs, chopped; 1/2 cup diced onion; 1/2 cup chopped sweet pickles; 1 cup mayonnaise; 1/3 cup sweet pickle juice; 1 heaping teaspoon yellow mustard; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Y’all, let me tell you, this Mashed Potato Salad is like a big ol’ hug from the fridge. It takes everything you love about classic potato salad and makes it even easier by starting with frozen hash browns. Yep, no peeling and chopping raw potatoes until your arm falls off. Just boil, mash a lil,’ and mix in all that creamy, tangy goodness.

If you’re a fan of creamy comfort, you’ve gotta check out my Loaded Baked Potato Salad, The Best German Potato Salad, and Creamy Cucumbers Salad!

It’s got the eggs for richness, mustard for a punch, mayo for that creamy texture, and sweet pickles because… well, sweet pickles belong in potato salad if you ask me. This is the kind of dish that shows up at family reunions, church picnics, and backyard cookouts, and somehow, the bowl always comes back scraped clean.

Before You Get Started

Don’t over-mash the potatoes. Lumps make this salad extra good.
Chill time is key! This needs a good few hours in the fridge to let the flavors come together.
Keep it sweet. Sweet pickles really do make the difference, but dill lovers can swap if they like.

Recipe Ingredients

Pepper
Cubed frozen hash browns
Boiled eggs, chopped
Diced onion
Chopped sweet pickles (or sweet pickle relish)
Mayonnaise
Sweet pickle juice
Yellow mustard (or Dijon mustard for extra tang)
Salt

How to Make Mashed Potato Salad

1. Cook the Potatoes
Place hash browns in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook for 10 minutes, or until tender. Drain well.

Bring potatoes to a boil and then simmer.

2. Mash
Transfer potatoes to a large bowl and mash lightly with a potato masher. Leave it lumpy. This ain’t mashed potatoes, it’s potato salad!

3. Make the Pickle Relish
In a blender or small food chopper, pulse the chopped onion and sweet pickles until very finely minced.

Finely dice sweet pickles and onions in blender.

4. Mix it All Together
Add mayonnaise, pickle juice, mustard, minced pickles and onions, salt, and pepper to the potatoes. Stir until combined, then gently fold in the chopped eggs.

Add remaining ingredients to bowl except for eggs.

5. Chill
Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving. Enjoy!

Storage

Store leftover potato salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Recipe Notes

Potato swap: I’m just using hashbrowns to make life easier, but you can use regular potatoes instead. Just chop them into small cubes before following the instructions. I recommend Yukon Gold potatoes.
Add celery: Many mashed potato salad recipes include 1/2 cup of diced celery, so feel free to chop that up when you finely dice the onion and sweet pickles.
Use leftover potatoes: This is a great recipe to use if you have leftover roast potatoes or leftover mashed potatoes.
Onion swap: Feel free to swap the yellow onion for sweet onion, red onion, or green onion.
Other substitutions you can make? Swap yellow mustard for Dijon mustard, add a tablespoon of vinegar for extra tang, and swap half of the mayonnaise for 1/2 cup of sour cream or Greek yogurt instead. You can also use Miracle Whip for a sweeter, zingier salad dressing flavor.

Recipe FAQs

Can I make this ahead of time?

Yes! In fact, it’s better the next day after all those flavors have had a chance to mingle.

Do you have to put eggs in a potato salad?

The short answer is no. I don’t believe Thomas’ mashed potato salad had eggs in it but personally, I just love boiled eggs in potato salad. If you love them, be sure to add them in. If you don’t, feel free to leave them out. For me, they just make it extra special.

Can I use dill pickles instead of sweet pickles?

So, since posting this recipe, I’ve heard from A LOT of people that… a) feel confident Thomas’s used dill pickle instead of sweet pickle or b) can’t bear the thought of sweet pickle in a potato salad and prefer dill. So I just wanted to pop in and reiterate that this is my version of the recipe and as a person who really, really loves sweet pickles, that is what I naturally used. You, of course, are welcome to substitute dill if that is what you prefer. There is a good chance that is what Thomas’s used since they served dill pickle spears with some of their entrees. Just go with whatever cranks yer tractor.

What do you serve with mashed potato salad?

This is a great side dish to pair with so many different main meals. Here are some recommendations:

How do you make Amish potato salad?

Add diced celery and 1/4 cup of granulated sugar to this recipe and you have Amish potato salad.