Seems every time I make potato salad, it’s dry within an hour or two. Same reason I never take macaroni salad anywhere. If you don’t eat it right away, the pasta absorbs the dressing.
I think it helps if you dress potato salad it while it’s warm, instead of letting the potatoes cool completely. Then let the whole thing cool, and store it airtight in the fridge.
I know a lady who makes pasta dishes for next-day parties by cooking her pasta the night before, cooling it, and putting it in a big ‘baggie’. Then, at the party, she microwaves it in the bag very shortly, and uses an electric pan to heat the sauce and then add the pasta. It turns out really well.
I dont know why it works but I cut the potatoes to the 1 inch cubes and drizzle with vinegar while warm. I then wait until cool for the dressing. It’s usually good for two days intil it starts to get watery.
Jamestown is right. Dressing hot potatoes and pasta before the liquid evaporates helps. But so does putting on a bit more dressing.
I don’t like my salads dry but I also think mayo is an essential food group,....and so is cheese,..... and butter. Lol!
America’s Test Kitchen has a really great Texas Potato Salad recipe. I’ve fixed it several times and love it! I second what the other poster said about dressing the potatoes while they are still warm. That’s important.