The recipe
Hot German Potato Salad for Brat Night
Hot German Potato Salad is one of those side dishes that earns its place by doing more than one job at once. It brings tender sliced potatoes, crisp bacon and onion together in a warm sweet-tangy dressing that feels hearty enough for cool-weather meals but bright enough to cut through richer grilled food.
What makes this version especially appealing is the way the hot dressing comes together from bacon drippings, flour, sugar, celery seed, water and vinegar before the potatoes and crumbled bacon are folded in and heated through. The result is glossy, savory and just sharp enough to keep you coming back for another spoonful.
Why it matters
Why This One Is Worth Bringing Back
Mary Lou Reynolds’ Hot German Potato Salad is built around a warm skillet dressing rather than mayonnaise. Potatoes are cooked until tender, sliced thinly, and folded with crisp bacon into a sweet-tangy mixture of onion, flour, sugar, celery seed, water and vinegar.
The method is what gives this recipe its old-fashioned character: the onion cooks in the bacon drippings, the dressing is brought to a boil until glossy, and the potatoes are stirred in gently so the slices stay intact.
The source offers its own serving cue, noting that this is especially good when you cook brats on the grill. For more cool-weather comfort food, see Sunday Pot Roast or Aunt Mary’s Chili.
This Hot German Potato Salad is preserved from 75 Years of Caring and Sharing, printed page 37.
Modern kitchen notes
If You're Making It Today
These are modern editorial suggestions, not changes to the archived recipe. When a variation comes directly from the original source, we will say so.
Cook the potatoes until tender, not falling apart
The source calls for about nine medium potatoes. Cook them just until tender so they can be sliced thinly without turning to mash when they are folded into the hot dressing.
Build the dressing in the bacon drippings
After frying the bacon, the onion cooks directly in the drippings before the flour, sugar, salt, celery seed and pepper are added. That skillet step is central to the recipe’s flavor and texture.
Add the water and vinegar off the heat
The source specifically removes the skillet from the heat before stirring in the water and vinegar, then returns the mixture to a boil while stirring constantly.
Fold the potatoes in gently
Once the bacon is crumbled and the potatoes are thinly sliced, stir them into the hot dressing lightly so the slices stay intact while they heat through.
Recipe card
The Preserved Recipe
Hot German Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 3 lb. potatoes about 9 medium
- 6 slices bacon
- 1/4 c. chopped onion
- 2 Tbsp. flour
- 2 Tbsp. sugar
- 2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. celery seed
- 1 dash pepper
- 3/4 c. water
- 1/3 c. vinegar
Instructions
- Wash potatoes; pare thinly and remove eyes. Heat water to boiling and cook until tender. Drain; set aside. In large skillet, fry bacon until crisp; remove and drain. Cook and stir onion in bacon drippings until tender and golden brown. Stir in flour, sugar, salt, celery seed, and pepper. Cook over low heat, stirring until bubbly. Remove from heat; stir in water and vinegar. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Crumble bacon. Thinly slice potatoes. Carefully stir bacon and potatoes into hot mixture. Heat through, stirring lightly to coat potato slices.
Notes
Give Something Back
Help preserve the community behind the cookbook.
This recipe traces back to a Jersey County community cookbook created in the spirit of sharing, service and local connection. If you’d like to carry that spirit forward, consider supporting the Jersey County Historical Society and its work preserving local history for future generations.
Support Jersey County History →
Nostalgic Foodie is not affiliated with the Jersey County Historical Society and does not receive any portion of donations.
From the archive
More From This Cookbook
Explore more recipes preserved from 75 Years of Caring and Sharing.
