Oh sooo creamy with just the right amount of feel good food yum-delicious taste and texture, this really is the best ever Cajun potato salad recipe, y'all. Surprise south Louisiana ingredients are tucked away in my over-the-top, oh sooo velvety spin on this classic side dish. Yep and yay...
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Yep...It's the Best Ever Cajun Potato Salad Recipe...
Just so y'all know, I made it to my 86th blog post before I broke out the 'best ever' titled post. I honestly didn't think that I would ever use it. The 'best ever' is a bit cheesy, a bit outdated, and a bit desperate for food bloggers to use as a click bait hook. I know, I know, I know!!
I almost promised myself that I would never use it. But, I didn't go all the way with the promise because I knew if I ever really meant it deep, deep down inside, I would soooo go out on the necessary limb to stake my rightful claim in 'best ever' food space.
Well, a life-changing event has recently occurred in my life. An event that taught me what a 'best ever' food is. A best ever food is one that you have a spiritual connection to because of the memories and good feelings that it gives you every time you eat it.
And now, since my oldie but oh sooo goodie Cajun potato salad recipe has recently become my personal 'best ever' food, I want to tell y'all all about it. Yep.
Once There was a First Bite of This Cajun Potato Salad...
When Mark and I got married, one of the first things I made for his parents was my Cajun potato salad. Honestly, it may have been the very first thing that I served to them because I remember the occasion so crystal clearly.
I'm always a little nervous when people eat my potato salad for the first time. Everyone has their own way of making potato salad, and most people make a smooth, creamy potato salad with a few pieces of pickles or pickle relish here and there. There's usually a few eggs, and lots of mayo, or mustard if you live in the South.
I usually love other people's potato salad, and I want other people to love mine, too. But, since I tuck little raw, minced bits of the Cajun trinity of onion, bell pepper, and celery into my creamy salad, I'm always ready and waiting for the expression on people's faces when they find their first crunchy surprise.
So, I really wanted to impress Mark's parents that day with my version of Cajun potato salad. I was watching when they took their first bites, and I was watching when they cleaned their plates of it. Mark's mom even said that she really liked the bits of veggies in it. So, I knew that me and my potato salad were now welcome in the family potluck rotation!! Yay!!
And Then There Was Nothing I Could Do But Make Them More Cajun Potato Salad...
Mark's dad struggled greatly with an ongoing illness that kept taking turns for the worse throughout the last year or so. He had a really hard month in April, so we tried to be around a lot to help out his parents with whatever they needed.
To tell you the truth, the only thing I knew how to do was to keep bringing and sending food for his parents and their guests. I'm not medically trained. Nor am I strong enough to do any of the real heavy-lifting that's required when someone in your family is terminally ill.
Mark and his brother, and the hospice nurses, were there to literally lift him up and down out of the bed, when necessary. Mark's mom was there for everything else, and I could see that some of those everything else's were starting to really take a noticeable toll on her.
So, I made food. Because making food like this Cajun potato salad is the only way I know to be of real help to those that are in need of nourishment for both their body and their souls.
And Then the Time Came, and What I Learned From Knowing Him Hit Me Like a Ton of Truth Bricks...
Mark's dad passed away on the first day of May. And I have to say that he was one of the most sharp-witted people that I've ever met. His brain worked lighting-fast. And, he always, always came up with something to make you crack up laughing about any given situation.
I sent my Creole meatballs over one night, and he told Mark that he and his mom had a fabulous dinner. And that he happily ate them again for lunch the next day. But, the following day he told Mark, "Lyn's meatballs sucked. They sucked because we ran out of them."
Right before the end, Mr. Terry also told his church that he loved them, but that he was getting tired of seeing them. When he went on hospice care, he went to church and told everyone, "Please pray for my wife. I've started seeing several beautiful women recently." That's how he boldly announced that he was on his way home, and that he needed some extra help to get him there!!
Speaking of church, Mr. Terry was an active member of the church for many, many years. He was a Sunday School teacher, and a devoted church member who was known to pray for people wherever he was, including Walmart. He was dedicated to being there for people right then and there when they needed him. He believed that if people asked for prayer, then right now was the time to go to God on their behalf.
He was also a member of the Gideons for years. He cared deeply about putting Bibles in the hands of those who can't afford them.
Poppa T also looked just like Santa Claus. He started playing Santa sometime in the 1990's, when he needed a fake beard and a hat with fake white hair to do the gigs. He always said that he didn't play Santa, but that he was Santa. I don't know if that's true or not, but he did grow the white beard and hair himself to continue being Santa for as long as he could. Yep!
And, he only took Santa gigs that let him tell the kids the story of the birth of Christ. He also told the kids where candy canes came from, and how they tie in to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
By my calculations, thousands of children heard the gospel story from him when he was Santa, y'all!!
To me, Mr. Terry was the perfect example of using what God gave you to tell others of the freedom and grace that God provides to us! While other people within the church were fighting about what Christians should and shouldn't do, my father-in-law was out there at Christmas parties telling kids about Jesus Christ!! I'm sooo proud of you for that Dad!! Yep!!
My father-in-law was also a very patriotic man who popped my 'I'm a Louisiana girl' bubble quite often. He lined his yard with flags each and every patriotic holiday. And he also asked me to remember the widows and orphans of our fallen U.S. soldiers in my prayers. And when our own flag got ripped in half by heavy winds, he went straight to the store and bought us a brand new one.
Finally, I want to say that Mr. Terry admitted to being a sinner. He didn't conquer all of his sins in life, and he wasn't afraid to say so. He was 100 percent confident in knowing that Christ went to the cross to bear the burdens of his sins, so that he wouldn't have to. I think this is the most important thing that I have to say about him. He taught me that when you're man or woman enough to say who you are, then you never, ever have to pretend that you're something that you're not.
And Then I Learned That He Ate My Cajun Potato Salad at His Last Meal...
I didn't know this until after the fact, but Poppa T ate some of my Cajun potato salad during his last meal. He told Mark that he actually ate it on three different occasions since we brought it to him.
I was touched beyond words then, and I'm still touched almost speechless now. Just knowing that something I made with my own hands in my own kitchen was part of my father-in-law's final hours on this Earth is enough to make me want to break down and ugly cry, y'all!!
But, I honestly couldn't ugly cry if I wanted to. Every time I start to cry, I feel a rush of supernatural peace that surpasses any understanding that I've ever experienced in my life. As soon as we got to Mark's parent's house after he passed, we immediately walked into the most calm and serene environment that either of us has ever been in. We felt the still, quite peace of Lord Jesus wash over us. And the longer we stayed there, the stronger it got.
There weren't many tears in their house that day. And there aren't many tears in our house either. And I still feel the loving, protective shield of the Lord over us now, and so does Mark. And we are comforted and secure in the fact that God took Mr. Terry's soul on home to Glory. And that we'll see him when we get there. Yep.
So, this isn't a sad story. Nope. Not at all. This is a story of a man who lived, had children, and loved the Lord and his family. This is the story of a man who served where he could, and touched the lives of others with the best of his God-given talents.
So, this is actually a happy story. A story that I'm honored to be apart of, through the love of family and through Mr. Terry's love of my food that he knew meant so, so much to me.
Why This Cajun Potato Salad is the Best Ever...
This Cajun potato salad isn't just another potato salad. It's overflowing with creamy New Orleans mayonnaise, Creole mustard, and the Cajun trinity. There's also green onion bits for even more color and texture. And lots of seasoning that you can adjust to suit your own tastes.
This Cajun potato salad is the best ever because it's a little superfluous on ingredients. But, that makes it stand out from all other potato salads. It's also the best because almost every one on the planet loves this classic American side dish. So, you can make it to indulge yourself, or anyone else who just may need a thoughtful food-love gift from time to time.
Share this best ever Cajun potato salad recipe with those who've sharpened you into reflective silence throughout your own life's journey. And see y'all on the yum side...
Best Ever Cajun Potato Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 pounds chopped potatoes
- 4 eggs
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
- 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped celery
- 2 teaspoons chopped kosher dill pickles or dill pickle relish
- 3 chopped green onions
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh or dried parsley
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Creole mustard
- 1 1/2 teaspoons yellow mustard
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place chopped potatoes and the whole eggs in large pot of water. Add a dash of salt.
- Bring to a rolling boil.
- Drain when potatoes are fork-tender. Let cool, then pour into a glass or plastic bowl with a fitted lid.
- Use a potato masher to mash about half of the potatoes, and to soften the remaining potatoes slightly.
- Add remaining ingredients.
- Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate overnight for best results.
Notes
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