For Potato Salad Packed With Flavor, You Need This Powerhouse Mustard

A good potato salad rarely ever disappoints when placed on the dinner table. It has made an impression across the globe, with delicious takes on potato salad existing all over the world. The version of potato salad that usually gets attention in the U.S. is a combo of creamy mayo, well-cooked potatoes, tangy vinegar, and a good amount of yellow mustard. However, moving away from the standard mustard selection and opting for honey mustard is the trick for a truly impressive potato salad that you'll crave from the first mouthful.

Honey mustard is called on to offer a sweeter and less sharp taste than other forms of mustard. It brings a familiar pungent bite when added to potato salad, but you're also able to notice a hint of sweetness merge with the creamy, acidic notes, creating a dish that's more well-rounded. Honey mustard can be made from scratch by combining yellow mustard with some honey (use about two tablespoons of mustard per tablespoon of honey) and stirring it together. However, if you're not feeling like creating it from scratch, you can take out the hard work and pick up a store-bought honey mustard brand, like French's or Tuscan Garden. 

Honey mustard is best added as part of the dressing for the potatoes alongside vinegar, mayonnaise, seasonings, and dried spices. Toss your potatoes in the honey mustard dressing while they're still warm so that they absorb all the flavors thoroughly and you get a foundation that is truly different from the usual potato salad drill. You can then serve the salad warm, room temperature, or cold.

There are many tips to upgrade your potato salad, but simply using some honey mustard is a low-effort way to elevate the classic. In case you're combining the honey and mustard yourself, know that you can choose the variety of mustard and exactly how much of it to use so that the potato salad is tailored to your preference. You can combine mustard types like Dijon or wholegrain for more pungency, or mix in a spicy variation for a touch of heat. Remember to also opt for runny honey so that it can blend smoothly into the dressing and is easy to distribute evenly through the potatoes.

You can also ramp up the flavors of this potato salad further by stirring in ingredients like diced celery and onion for texture and crunch, bacon for more umami and salty flavors, or some hard-boiled eggs to add an old-school touch to your salad. Honey mustard also pairs well with similar sweet and tangy ingredients like sweet pickle relish — or even apple cider vinegar as a swap for distilled vinegar. You can also use extra seasonings to awaken the flavors further — think minced garlic, curry powder, and onion powder, all of which complement the honey mustard.