By The week before. The actual week. I am teaching the last four days of school and then I am getting married on Saturday and then I will be a wife and a teacher and the same person I was before, just with a new last question answered and a new chapter that has no name yet except forward.
I made the potato pancakes Monday evening as the biggest batch I have ever made — twelve dozen, which took three hours and the full surface area of the kitchen, and which Ryan helped with by standing at the griddle while I formed them. He says he has become a very good potato pancake griddle operator and I say he has become a support staff member and he says support staff is essential and I say yes that is the correct framing. We worked together in that kitchen for three hours and talked about everything and nothing and it was one of the evenings I will keep.
The last day of school is Friday. I will see my students for the last time until September — a different classroom, different combinations, some of them aging out to middle school. J reading at grade level. A fully independent in transitions. T writing without help. The year I almost could not get through has produced outcomes I would not have predicted in the worst moments of March 2020. That is worth saying. That is the whole case for doing hard things: you cannot see from the bottom what you will have made by the time you get to the top.
Three days. Babcia Rose is coming Thursday to stay at Patty and Steve house. Kristin is driving up from Wicker Park. Matt and Danielle and the kids are arriving Friday. Ryan is staying at a hotel Thursday night because we are doing the traditional not-seeing-each-other, which he was skeptical about until I explained that the look on his face when he sees me at the church is something I am investing in. He said okay. He will invest in it too. I know he will. I know him.
We were already deep in potato mode that week — three hours at the stove, twelve dozen pancakes, Ryan manning the griddle like he was born to it — and potatoes had become the official ingredient of this chapter. With Babcia Rose arriving Thursday and a whole family descending on us by Friday, I wanted something I could make ahead that felt Polish and celebratory and substantial, something that honored where we came from while we stepped into what comes next. This is that dish.
Polish Potato Salad with Sausage
Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 45 minutes | Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, cubed
- 12 oz kielbasa sausage, sliced into half-moons
- 1/2 cup dill pickles, chopped
- 1/4 cup pickle brine
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more for boiling
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped (plus more to garnish)
- 1 tablespoon butter
Instructions
- Boil the potatoes. Place cubed potatoes in a large pot of salted cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a steady simmer and cook 12–15 minutes, until just fork-tender. Do not overcook — you want them to hold their shape. Drain and spread on a sheet pan to cool for 10 minutes. While still warm, drizzle the pickle brine over the potatoes and toss gently so they absorb it as they cool.
- Brown the kielbasa. Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add sliced kielbasa and cook 3–4 minutes per side until edges are caramelized and golden. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, whole-grain mustard, salt, and pepper until smooth and combined.
- Combine. In a large mixing bowl, gently fold together the cooled potatoes, browned kielbasa, diced onion, chopped pickles, and hard-boiled eggs. Pour the dressing over the top and fold to coat, being careful not to break up the potatoes.
- Add the dill. Fold in chopped fresh dill. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, or mustard to your preference.
- Chill and serve. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving to let the flavors come together. Garnish with additional fresh dill before bringing to the table. Serve cold or at room temperature.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 390 | Protein: 14g | Fat: 22g | Carbs: 36g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 780mg