My Potato Salad

This is very much influenced by my mom's potato salad recipe which is probably one of my favorite side dishes. I always heavily look forward to her bringing her potato salad for Christmas dinner. The smell of potatoes and eggs cooking remind me of the holidays and it is one of my favorite smells. I of course cannot replicate the salad perfectly but I do try and of course add a little of my own flair. Enjoy.

Ingredients:

• 7 eggs
• 8 potatoes
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup ranch dressing (my mom uses milk)
• 1/2 cup diced dill pickles
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 5 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black 
• pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dill weed
• A few shakes of sweet paprika
• Sliced radishes

Place the eggs into a saucepan in a single layer and fill with water to cover the eggs by 1 inch. Cover the saucepan and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Remove from the heat and let the eggs stand in the hot water for 15 minutes. Pour out the hot water; cool the eggs under cold running water in the sink. Peel and chop the cooled eggs.

Place the peeled and cubed potatoes into a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and refrigerate in bowl you plan on serving the salad in.

Stir together the mayonnaise, eggs, ranch dressing, pickles, mustard, green pepper, celery, onion, dill weed, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl. Toss potatoes with this mixture, add only as much as you want (some people like their salad dryer, I like mine creamy and not dry). Layer top of salad with sliced radishes and sprinkle with paprika. 

Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.