Add A Sweet Crunch To Potato Salad With One Canned Ingredient

From potato and anchovy salad to delicious Amish-style potato salad, there are seemingly infinite variations on this classic picnic side dish that are all worth trying. So how about one more? This idea is as simple as it gets, and it'll leave you wondering why you didn't always make your salad this way: just add some canned sweet corn.

These little flavor bombs will add a (literal) pop of sweetness when mixed into your potato salad, though the flavor won't be so overpowering that it takes over the other ingredients. Corn delivers just enough flavor and crunch to complement the creamy mayonnaise dressing, while adding a little complexity to the taste that'll subtly elevate your dish beyond a basic potato salad. Just drain your sweet corn (a 7-ounce can for every one and a half pound of potatoes is a start) and fold it into your finished salad. The result is a textural dream, with the soft potatoes interplaying with the creamy dressing and bright, crunchy corn. It's that easy to make an elevated side dish perfect for any occasion.

There are a couple of ways you can take the flavor of your potato and sweet corn salad up a notch. If you want to elevate the canned corn itself, one fantastic technique is to toast the kernels before you add them to the salad. Start by draining the can as you would normally. Then, warm up a dry, oil-free pan so it's nice and hot, and lightly cook the kernels before adding them to your potato salad. This produces a lovely rich and full caramelized flavor, but the corn still tastes fresh with that same juicy, crunchy texture.

You could also take some inspiration from elote, the iconic Mexican street food. In its original form, this dish consists of grilled corn on the cob, painted liberally with mayonnaise or crema (a Mexican-style sour cream) before being topped with cojita cheese, lime, and chili powder. These all happen to be flavors that work brilliantly in a potato salad. After toasting the corn to get that hot-off-the-grill sensation, mix it into your potato salad before adding the zest and juice of a lime, some cojita or Oaxaca cheese, and chili powder or flakes. You could also add a good sprinkle of Tajín for a spicy, salty kick.