Hot Then Cold Potato Salads

Leftovers have gotten a bad rap. As the person in charge of all things food-related at our house, however, I love them. Using leftovers means less work and less waste, and with a little creativity taste buds will never grow bored. Take this Hot Then Cold Potato Salad for example. On the first night, toss some boiled potatoes in butter and olive oil and sprinkle with coarse sea salt, cracked black pepper and fresh chopped herbs. Put leftover potatoes in the fridge and the next day mix them with some dijon mustard and mayonnaise and serve it cold. Delicious times two for half the work.

Hot Then Cold Potato Salads

HOT:

1 lb. (around 10 small) new red potatoes left whole

1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs such as rosemary, thyme, oregano, chives, garlic scapes

1 Tb butter melted

2 Tb olive oil

coarse sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste

COLD:

(depending on how much leftovers you have, add more or less to taste)

leftover hot potato salad, chilled

1/4 cup mayonaise

2 Tb dijon mustard

2 chopped pickles

 HOT:

1. Wash and scrub potatoes. Place whole potatoes in pot of cold water with a few pinches of salt. Boil potatoes until tender or until it's easy to pierce them through with a knife. Remove from heat and drain.
2. When cool enough to handle, but while still hot, quarter the potatoes. Meaning cut them in half and then cut each half in half as well. You're looking for large, bite-sized pieces. Place in a large bowl.
3. Meanwhile, melt 1 Tb butter in a microwave-proof dish. Add 2 Tbs olive oil and whisk to combine. Pour the butter mixture over the potatoes.

4. Add the chopped herbs and a few pinches of salt and pepper. I used about 1 Tb of salt and 1/2 Tb of pepper. Use more or less to your taste. Using two large spoons, gently toss the potatoes together. You want to avoid breaking them up too much at this point. 

 5. Serve hot. Place leftovers in the fridge, covered.

COLD:

1. The next day, mix together in a small bowl mayonnaise, mustard and chopped pickles to make the dressing.

2. Use a fork and knife or two forks to break the potato quarters in half, mashing some with the back of the fork. This will help hold it all together when you add the dressing.

3. Now add the dressing and stir it all together with a large spoon. Serve as is or let it sit in the fridge for an hour or so before serving if you have time. There is no hard and fast recipe for leftovers, because it all depends on how much you have leftover! I used this dressing recipe for about 1/2 the original amount of potatoes, so about 5 or 1/2 lb. Go easy on the may though. Remember you already added 3 Tb of fat (butter and oil) the day before, so it won't take much more to be scrumptious.