Potato Pearl Salad

I know what you are all thinking . . . you can't mess with the potato in a potato salad.  We invited a couple of families over for dinner and family home evening.  I wanted to serve a potato salad with my pulled BBQ pork sandwiches but I forgot to buy the potatoes.  Then I remembered that I had tried this salad at a training meeting at the Church cannery.  This recipe uses the dried mashed potato pearls that you can buy at the cannery.  I imagine you could use any other mashed potato also.


The result?  The salad was a resounding success.  One of our guests said that it was the best potato salad he had ever had.  He said Idaho girls really know how to cook their potatoes.  Stephen and Derek LOVED the salad and requested that I only make this kind of potato salad in the future.  They loved the creamy texture the mashed potatoes gave the salad.  I'd love to know what you think about it.

1 cup potato pearls
1 1/2 cups very hot water (I microwaved it)
2-4 hard boiled chilled eggs, chopped
Chopped pickles or pickle relish 
1-2 tablespoons dried onion (I used chopped fresh green onions)

Mix potato pearls and water thoroughly.  Mixture will appear dry.  Chill.  Mix remaining ingredients into chilled mashed potatoes and fold in your favorite salad dressing.

Dressing
1 cup real mayonnaise
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
Thin it with enough pickle juice liquid to make a dressing

No salt or pepper is necessary.  Decorate salad with sliced eggs, sliced olives, and/or green onions.  Sprinkle with paprika and chives.