Picnic Potato Salad

This is my FAVORITE recipe. The potatoes are soft and bite sized, the celery is cut to give a little crunch but not a mouthful in itself. There are NO raw onions because I can't stand that bitter after taste. Make sure to allow enough time for all the ingredients to cool.

I sometimes cook the eggs and potatoes the night before, then mix the rest the next day.

--- 2 - 2.5 lbs red skinned potatoes (wash/scrub and remove any bad spots, then cut into bite size pieces)

--- 2 - 3 hard boiled eggs

--- 1 stick of celery, washed and finely chopped

--- 1 - 2 cups of Best Foods brand mayonaise (depending on preference. I use about 1.5C)

--- 2 - 3 Tbls. dijon mustard

--- 1/2 - 3/4 C precooked and crumbled "Bac'n" pieces. These are usually in the produce/salad area or with salad dressings. You can, of course, cook your own bacon, let it cool then crumble it.

--- onion powder (maybe 1/4-1/2 tsp) and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

After the potatoes are washed and bad ends, if any are cut away, 1/4 the potatoes or cut into bite sized pieces. Add to a very large pot of boiling water and cook for 12-18 minutes or until the potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork. Or to your desired doneness. Not toooo soft, or else when you mix the other ingredients, they will turn into smashed potatoes.

Drain the water away and let the potatoes cool in the fridge at least an hour or overnight.

Peel and dice hard boiled eggs.

I like to make the "sauce" in a separate bowl: add all the remainder ingredients (mayo, dijon, pepper, celery, bac'n, onion powder) and mix until incorporated. Mix it into the potatoes, gently, until well coated. Adjust mayonnaise and seasonings as needed.

Keep chilled until ready to serve.