If you learned to make potato salad from your mother, as most of us did, you probably have no real recipe for it. You just toss your cubed or sliced potatoes and chopped ingredients into a big bowl and add the desired dressings, until it somehow looks and tastes right to you.

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Italian Potato Salad with Gorgonzola and Orange Balsamic Dressing

Which likely explains why this beloved dish is so hard to duplicate from one time to the next. Approximation is, after all, the bane of consistent cookery.

But approximation is also the soul of individuality. That's why no two people's potato salad is ever exactly the same – unless they're making it from a tested recipe.

So we got some professional Dallas cooks to give us their trusted personal versions of potato salad. We also experimented with our own family version of classic picnic potato salad and came up with something we've never had before: an actual recipe for it.

With any luck, at least one of these might join your line-up for future Labor Day barbecues.

E-mail jharris@dallasnews.com

When you have onion haters in your house, it can be hard to find a potato salad that they will eat without whining. Here's an easy version adapted from a recipe that has long been popular in our extended family, which has more than one onion-phobe. Potato cubes boiled with onion flakes retain just a hint of alluring flavor, without the pungency of raw onion. The only crunch you'll get here is from lots of celery. This potato salad tastes best if made a day ahead and refrigerated overnight.

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Place cubed potatoes in large, heavy pot. Cover with water and add onion flakes. On medium-high heat, bring to boil, then lower heat to medium. Continue at slow boil, stirring occasionally, until potato cubes are cooked through and soft, 20 to 30 minutes.

Strain and transfer potatoes to large bowl. Add sandwich spread, mustard and light mayonnaise, and stir. Add diced celery, chopped green olives and sweet pickle relish, and stir. Sprinkle in salt and pepper to taste, and stir. Cover and refrigerate until chilled; serve cold. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

PER SERVING: Calories 184 (19% fat) Fat 4 g Cholesterol 4 mg Sodium 547 mg Fiber 4 g Carbohydrates 34 g Protein 4 g

SOURCE: Adapted by Joyce Sáenz Harris from a family recipe

"Here is a Spanish version of a potato salad I serve," says Joel Harloff, executive chef at the Melrose Hotel's Landmark restaurant. "It has some interesting ingredients and is very different from the norm."

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Steam potatoes whole until soft. Chill completely, then cut into ½ -inch-thick coins.

Slice serrano ham very thin and fry in oil briefly, until golden brown. Crumble by hand when cool.

Dice piquillo peppers; combine with potatoes, green onions, red onion, serrano ham and garlic, and mix well. Add vinegar, then add oil a little at a time until salad has desired ratio of oil to vinegar. Season with salt and pepper, then add a little smoked paprika to taste. Makes 12 servings.

Note: If you can't find smoked hot paprika, use 1 ½ teaspoons smoked sweet paprika and 1 ½ teaspoons cayenne pepper.

PER SERVING: Calories 287 (64% fat) Fat 21 g (3 g sat) Cholesterol 6 mg Sodium 1,152 mg Fiber 3 g Carbohydrates 21 g Protein 5 g

SOURCE: Joel Harloff, The Melrose Hotel

East Dallasite Linda McKay is a cooking instructor at Central Market in Dallas, and she's also CM's resident herb expert. Her herb-inspired take on potato salad uses unusual ingredients, including honey and mint, for a fresh, spring-like flavor.

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Place potatoes in heavy saucepan with tight-fitting lid. Add water to cover by 2 inches, salt to taste, cover and bring to boil. Boil for approximately 15 minutes, or until tender when pierced. Drain and let cool.

To make dressing, in a small bowl whisk together vegetable oil, vinegar, water, mustard and honey. Stir in green onions, mint and salt. Add dressing to potatoes and toss gently. Serve chilled or at room temperature. Makes 8 servings.

PER SERVING: Calories 248 (74% fat) Fat 21 g (2 g sat) No cholesterol Sodium 162 mg Fiber 2 g Carbohydrates 15 g Protein 2 g

SOURCE: Linda McKay

Far East Dallas cooking teacher Philomena Aceto says she adapted this recipe from one her grandmother used to make. "I have fine-tuned it a bit over the years, but it evokes very fond memories of growing up with a garden and grandparents who loved and tended it. It is a crowd-pleaser every time I make it, especially if you are like me and don't care for mayonnaise."

Check her class schedule at philomenafood.com.

Cook potatoes in boiling salted water about 30 minutes or until tender (do not overcook). Drain and rinse in cold water.

Blanch beans in boiling water; drain and rinse in cold water.

Transfer potatoes and beans to bowl or platter. Add tomatoes, onion, olives, capers, fresh herbs and salt and pepper to taste.

Combine vinegar, oil, orange juice and oregano. Toss salad with dressing and top with crumbled gorgonzola and lots of fresh, cracked pepper. Serve chilled. Makes 12 servings.

PER SERVING: Calories 219 (54% fat) Fat 14 g (4 g sat) Cholesterol 13 mg Sodium 465 mg Fiber 4 g Carbohydrates 21 g Protein 6 g

SOURCE: Philomena Aceto

If you love German potato salad, here's an authentic version from Inga Bowyer, who owns the German Deli Outlet Store in Southlake ( GermanDeli.com).

If you love German potato salad, here's an authentic version from Inga Bowyer, who owns the German Deli Outlet Store in Southlake ( GermanDeli.com).

3 pounds waxy, yellow-fleshed potatoes (Butter Red or Yukon Gold)

7 tablespoons mayonnaise (preferably German mayo, if available)

5 medium savory-sweet German pickles, finely chopped

4 tablespoons German pickle juice

1 medium white or yellow onion, finely chopped

4 tablespoons half-and-half

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

3/4 teaspoon pepper, or to taste

Parsley or chives for garnish

Wash potatoes and boil in unsalted water until just tender. Allow potatoes to cool until lukewarm, then peel and slice.

Combine all remaining ingredients and add peeled, sliced potatoes. Toss gently until each potato is coated in dressing. Refrigerate until chilled. Adjust seasonings, if necessary; garnish with parsley or chives and serve. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

PER SERVING: Calories 239 (40% fat) Fat 11 g (2 g sat) Cholesterol 8 mg Sodium 895 mg Fiber 4 g Carbohydrates 33 g Protein 4 g

SOURCE: Inga Bowyer

Sibby Barrett, founder of Dallas Affaires bakery, now spends most of her time in the Hill Country, where she runs the popular Onion Creek Kitchens cooking school. Her favorite potato salad recipe is one that's never been written down, until now. Its decadent taste comes from the addition of bacon and what Sibby calls "deviled-egg guts."

2/3 cup olive oil

2 large red onions, thinly sliced

2 large yellow or white onions, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons honey

2 1/2 pounds red potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 1- to 2-inch chunks

6 hard-cooked eggs

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1/2 cup light mayonnaise or light sour cream

2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish

1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley

6 green onions, diced

12 slices peppered bacon, crisp-fried and chopped

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sliced onions. Sauté until golden brown and caramelized, about 30 minutes. Near end of 30 minutes, stir onions every few minutes; as they begin to crisp and brown rapidly, they will cook down a great deal. Add honey, cook and stir for 1 more minute, then remove from heat and set aside.

While onions are cooking, place potatoes in large pot; cover with cold water and dash of salt. Bring to boil and cook until fork-tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain and place in large bowl and set aside.

In a smaller bowl, finely chop hard-cooked eggs and mix together with Dijon, mayo or sour cream, relish, spices, parsley and green onions.

Add egg mixture, onions and bacon to potatoes and mix well. Serve warm or chilled. Makes 10 servings.

PER SERVING: Calories 370 (58% fat) Fat 24 g (5 g sat) Cholesterol 123 mg Sodium 577 mg Fiber 3 g Carbohydrates 30 g Protein 9 g

SOURCE: Sibby Barrett