Whether you’re planning a picnic, a brunch, or Sunday dinner, your summertime table isn’t complete without one dish in particular: potato salad! Essentially the side of the season, potato salad is a universally beloved dish that basically tastes like summer.

One of the great things about potato salad is that it’s an extremely versatile side. You can make it super decadent, you can take out the mayo and make it healthy, or you can play with a wide variety of fun flavors. No matter what you do, potato salad is always going to be delicious! It’s really a tried and true favorite.

But, while it’s great to have some funky twists on this staple in your back pocket, it’s essential to know a classic potato salad down pat. This recipe from Favorite Family Recipes is exactly that!

Your family is going to love this dish — and you’re going to love how easy it is to make. Here’s what you need to get started:

• Potatoes
• Hard boiled eggs
• Salt and pepper (to taste)
• Mayo
• Sour cream
• Mustard
• Sugar
• Pickles

Now, it looks like Russet potatoes are being used in this particular recipe, but that’s not necessarily the best type to use for potato salad. The Kitchn says that Russet potatoes “have a tendency to fall apart during cooking” because of their starchiness. They suggest Red Bliss, Fingerling, Yukon Gold, New, and white as more suitable options.

You also may be asking yourself; why add salt to a savory dish like potato salad?! It does seem weird but adding small amounts of sugar to savory dishes is actually a common and clever practice.

Adding sugar to not-sweet dishes helps to balance out the flavor of the meal, especially salty and sour flavors. So just consider the sugar in this recipe like the counterweight to the sour cream, the mayo, and the salt that’s used in this recipe.

Seems odd, but you won’t regret it!

This recipe is the perfect thing to have in your arsenal for the warm months to come! It’s a quick, easy, delicious meal that you can pull together in a snap and always thrill your family with.

What do you think of this classic, homestyle recipe? Share your thoughts, or any tricks you have for making this staple side, in the comments section below.