When my children were young, we visited grandparents after church on most Sunday afternoons.  My children’s Great Grandma Noni was Danish, and because she knew grandchildren would be visiting, she often prepared some of her wonderful Danish food.  Her potato salad was a favorite of everyone, and contained only six ingredients—absolute simplicity!  While I would have never thought of adding shrimp to potato salad, shrimp and dill were the ingredients that set her salad apart from other versions.  The shrimp are rinsed thoroughly, so there is no fishy taste, and the dill adds a wonderful flavor. 

Grandma Noni's Danish Potato Salad

12  Servings

2 1/2 pounds Idaho potatoes
4 hard boiled eggs
1 tablespoon dried dill weed
1/4 cup finely chopped onion, or 3 green onions finely chopped
2 4 oz. cans deveined tiny shrimp
1 1/3 cups mayonnaise, (about)
    salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
 
Cook the potatoes in boiling, salted water; drain in a colander and let sit in the colander until cool enough to handle.  Peel and cut into small pieces; transfer to a large bowl.  Chop the eggs and add to the potatoes with the dill weed.
   
Drain the shrimp in a strainer and rinse thoroughly.  Add the shrimp to the potato mixture.  Stir in the mayonnaise and enough salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.  Cover and chill well.  This potato salad can be made one day ahead.

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I learned of the following fabulous potato salad while sitting on the jumpseat next to fellow flight attendant and great cook, Paul Lim.  Nothing goes with ranch flavor better than the smoky taste of crumbled bacon and high quality, lean ham, so when he told me his potato salad included these ingredients, I was intrigued and asked him for the recipe.  Since I have some family members who don’t care for pickles, I made half of the recipe with pickles and half without; I loved both versions.  I found also, that this salad is even better after having been refrigerated overnight, as the extra time allows the flavors to blend well together.  If you love Ranch dressing (and who doesn’t), you will want to try this delicious potato salad. 
 
To save prep time, I like to use the Hormel Real crumbled bacon that comes in packages and is found in the salad section of most grocery stores. 
 

Paul Lim's Smokey Ranch Potato Salad

12  Servings
 
2 1/2 pounds Idaho potatoes
         
4 hard boiled eggs, chopped
4 green onions, chopped
1/2 pound bacon, fried crisp, drained, and crumbled
1/4 pound lean ham , cut into 1/4" dice
1/2 to 1 cup Claussen Kosher Dills, coarsely chopped
freshly ground black pepper
         
3/4 cup Hellmann's or Best Foods mayonnaise, (not reduced fat)
3/4 to 1 cup ranch dressing
      
paprika
         
Cook the potatoes in boiling, salted water; drain in a colander and let sit in the colander until cool enough to handle.  Peel and cut into small pieces; transfer to a large bowl.  Add the chopped eggs, green onions, bacon, ham, and pickles; stir well.  Add pepper to taste (little or no salt needed because the bacon and ham are salty).
 
Whisk together the mayonnaise and ranch dressing; mix into the potato mixture.  You may need a little more dressing depending on how the potatoes soak up the dressing.  Transfer to a serving bowl, sprinkle with paprika, cover, and refrigerate.