Upgrade Potato Salad With One Rich Italian Addition

Potato salad is the perfect sidekick to grilled meats, be it burgers fresh off the grill or ribs you whipped up in an instant pot. Really, the side dish is a BBQ's best friend. But what if, instead of sitting next to meat, potato salad included meat? Bacon might be the first thing that comes to mind thanks to loaded baked potatoes, but mortadella is an infinitely more delicious choice. Mortadella hails from Bologna, Italy, and its seasoned, fatty flavor makes it perfect for a potato salad upgrade.

Mortadella is a mixture of ground fatty cured pork containing a little seasoning from black peppercorn and other spices, often with add-ins of the maker's choosing. Typical add-ins include pistachios (so watch out if you have a nut allergy!), myrtle berries, and olives. The mixture is stuffed into a casing, cooked, and typically enjoyed sliced like a deli meat. It's often described as rich (which comes from its fat content), smoky, and smooth.

These qualities make mortadella a great contender for a potato salad upgrade. Mortadella's fat content works well with the acidity from vinegar in potato salad. The meat's smoothness is also important, as it fits with the smoothness of potato salad, maintaining even texture throughout the dish. Plus, the slight spiced quality can add an interesting flavor boost to an otherwise bland dish.

Mortadella isn't available at every grocery store — it's best to check stores like Wegmans that have a robust deli counter. While there, look for brands like Ferrarini or any that are labeled Mortadella Bologna IGP, as this marking indicates the meat meets official Italian standards. However, if available to you, the best option for procuring mortadella is to check specialty delis or butcher shops. There, you can get it sliced fresh — but it should be enjoyed shortly after purchase for optimal taste and texture. Whether that use is putting it in potato salad or just having it as a snack is up to you.

To upgrade your potato salad with mortadella, simply add the meat to a classic potato salad. How you cut it is up to your preference — you can try cubes for a burst of flavor or strips for a subtler, more slippery inclusion. If you have a potato salad recipe that already includes meat, replace the meat with your mortadella. And if you happen to have leftover mortadella (or bought a little extra since it's so good), you can make mortadella ravioli with pistachio butter or an Italian hoagie-style pickle sandwich.