Giada De Laurentiis’ Mom’s Potato Salad ‘Is Nearly a Meal in Itself’
Food Network star Giada De Laurentiis shared a childhood favorite: her mother’s potato salad that she remembered fondly as a De Laurentiis picnic staple.
And the ingredient that makes this dish kid-friendly is the slices of cooked hot dog tossed with satisfying potato chunks. Here’s how to make this delectable salad.
De Laurentiis’ mom’s potato salad uses basic ingredients
The chef’s mom, Veronica, calls for pretty basic items in her potato salad recipe, five ingredients to be exact (not including salt and pepper).
Her recipe requires russet potatoes, olive oil, good-quality hot dogs, fresh Italian parsley leaves, and chopped fresh basil leaves.
“You can’t have a picnic without potato salad,” Giada says in the Food Network video for the recipe. “My mom’s potato salad is nearly a meal in itself. The potatoes are seasoned with basil and parsley then tossed with sliced hot dogs. I loved it when I was a kid and I still do. Put a bowl of my mom’s potato salad on your picnic blanket and you’ll know why.”
Her mom’s potato salad is a kid-favorite for an obvious reason
Most kids love hot dogs and they’re a draw in Veronica’s recipe for the same reason. The simplicity of the potatoes is enhanced by the plump, salty franks in this dish.
The chef boils the russets, skin and all, and once cooled, “they’re ready for me to assemble my potato salad. … I’ve boiled the potatoes with the skin on because it helps them keep their shape. And also that way, they don’t become waterlogged.”
Before anything else, however, De Laurentiis grills the hot dogs. She pierces each frankfurter first “so when they cook, it allows the steam to come out. … You could sautee the hot dogs, you could boil them. I like to grill them to get that American flavor.”
While the hot dogs are cooking, she peels and dices the cooled potatoes, and places them in a bowl. “You want the potatoes to be slightly larger than bite-sized,” De Laurentiis notes. “Because if you cut them too small, they tend to fall apart when you toss them. Then you’ll end up with mashed potato salad.”
Once the hot dogs are all cooked, they’re set aside to cool and the potatoes are dressed with the chopped herbs and olive oil. The chef tosses in the chunks of cooked hot dog and this salad is ready to serve!
Get the complete recipe, video, and reviews on Food Network’s site.
Giada De Laurentiis’ family recipe was a hit with Food Network reviewers
The chef’s childhood favorite looks like it’s become a go-to of home cooks, judging by quite a few reviews on Food Network’s site.
“This recipe is easy to make and tastes great! The family loved it – even my hard-to-please fussy eater!,” one person wrote.
Another reviewer loved the simplicity of the dish, especially from a trained chef like De Laurentiis: “This recipe is very good, satisfying, and totally casual; exactly the kind of recipe that works great for picnics. My family loves this recipe, even my 7-year-old likes it. Thank you Giada for continually giving us delicious recipes without being a food snob.”
