This Canned Powerhouse Ingredient Adds So Much Flavor To Classic Potato Salad

Creamy, refreshing, and satisfying as all get-out, there's a reason you can find a bowl of potato salad at pretty much every potluck, picnic, and cookout. It's sure to please and positively classic. However, because this mayo-based wonder is a staple, it might also veer into boring territory without the occasional update. And there's one simple canned ingredient that packs in the flavor: canned artichokes. 

Artichokes are one of the many foods that do exceptionally well when canned. And when added to potato salad, canned artichokes infuse a lightly sweet, earthy, tangy, and almost buttery flavor that will help to round out the punch of a mayo-based dressing. Just make sure you drain your canned artichokes first. Add about half a cup of artichokes to every two and a half cups of potatoes. This will keep your salad potato-centric while also adding a good bit of artichoke flavor. Mix with your usual potato salad ingredients (such as bacon, celery, chopped onion, and a mayo-based dressing), serve, and enjoy!

As much flavor as artichokes could bring to your typical potato salad, they could also do well as the star of a whole new recipe. For example, turn your potato salad into a fun play on the classic spinach-artichoke dip. Add frozen chopped baby spinach (drained and squeezed) or fresh spinach you cooked down in a pan, along with some softened cream cheese (about half the amount of the mayo or Greek yogurt in your recipe) and a bit of mozzarella plus parmesan to the dressing. Replace up to half your potatoes with artichokes to give your potato salad the rich flavor of the classic pub dip but in a cool, picnic-ready form.

If you're after something a bit less theme-forward, you can just add complementary flavors. For example, charred lemons take a potato salad to new heights and chopped green olives will give your artichoke potato salad a Mediterranean twist that will further highlight your artichoke's briny flavor. You can also add your artichokes to a lovely herbed potato salad recipe. Or if you want something that really brings out the earthy, slightly nutty flavor of those artichokes, you can add some caramelized onions with a spoonful of bacon jam to create an irresistible potato salad. For a bit of added texture and flavor, you can grill your canned artichokes first. Just make sure you dry them well and grill over very high heat to give them a crispy, browned surface and a deep, rich taste that will truly elevate this dish.