Potato salad recipe similar to Cordell’s

Recipes that appear in Idea Alley have not been tested by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

Restaurant recipe requests are quite popular in the Alley. They are also the requests I find the most frustrating.

Often requests are for dishes from places that have closed, sometimes decades ago. But even when the restaurants are still in business, these recipes are difficult, if not impossible to obtain. Chefs, understandably, are reluctant to share. Recipes, after all, are key components of their livelihoods. Why should we expect them to give them away?

When restaurants do share, the recipes are often in quantities far too large for the home cook or call for ingredients unavailable to the general public.

That being said, this column relies on reader participation. It is, and always has been, a recipe exchange column. Readers (aka Alley Kats) share recipes they’ve made that they really enjoyed. Kats pose culinary questions. And Kats request recipes. Other Kats answer those requests. If no one responds to a request, or if the requested recipe can be found in our archives, I answer the request.

I’m not telling you not to ask for recipes from your favorite restaurants. I will print any reasonable request, but don’t be disappointed when the request goes unanswered.

Cordell’s potato salad is one of those dreaded requests. Cordell’s closed nearly 15 years ago. The salad has been requested numerous times since 2005 with little response.

According to an Arkansas Times story from 2009 back when Cordell’s potato salad was sold at Browning’s (another much-missed Little Rock establishment), the ingredients listed on the label were: potatoes, pickle relish, eggs, onion, mayonnaise and spices.

Neither of the recipes below include pickle relish, but one could always stir in a spoonful.

“I have made this potato salad for many years. It was originally on Hellman’s mayonnaise jars. It is so good and many people think it tastes very much like Cordell’s,” Susan Eschenbrenner writes.

Hellman’s Original Potato Salad

1 cup mayonnaise, Hellman’s Real Mayonnaise recommended

2 tablespoons vinegar

1 ½ teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon sugar

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

4 cups cubed cooked potatoes (5 to 6 medium)

1 cup thinly sliced celery

½ cup chopped onion

2 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and chopped

In large bowl, combine the mayonnaise, vinegar, salt, sugar and black pepper. Stir in potatoes, celery, onion and eggs. Cover and refrigerate until chilled.

This recipe, previously published in Idea Alley in 2005, is also reported to be similar to Cordell’s.

Grandma’s Potato Salad

1 cup water

½ cup butter OR margarine

¼ cup white vinegar

2 eggs

½ cup granulated sugar

4 ½ teaspoons cornstarch

¾ cup mayonnaise

¾ cup whipping cream, whipped

6 pounds red salad potatoes, cooked, peeled and sliced

½ cup chopped onion

¼ cup sliced green onions

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

3 hard-cooked eggs, peeled, sliced, for garnish Leaf lettuce and paprika, optional

In the top of a double boiler over boiling water, place water, butter and vinegar and heat.

In a large bowl, beat eggs; add sugar and cornstarch and mix well. Add to butter mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and a cooking thermometer registers 160 degrees, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.

Stir in mayonnaise, then fold in whipped cream.

In a separate large bowl, toss potatoes, onion, green onions, salt and black pepper. Pour dressing over vegetables and mix gently; chill. Garnish with hard-cooked eggs. Serve in a lettuce-lined bowl and sprinkle with paprika, if desired.

Makes 18 servings.

Send recipe contributions, requests and culinary questions to Kelly Brant, Idea Alley, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, AR 72203; email:

Please include a daytime phone number.