This German Potato Salad comes from a vintage cookbook called Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church Women Cookbook. It was published in 1981 and is republished here, with permission as part of a new series where we share recipes from New Glarus' past.

The Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church was organized in 1967, and by the time this cookbook was assembled, the women contributing recipes were documenting dishes they had likely been making for decades. The recipe is credited to Beth (Mattie) Luchsinger whose name appears without fanfare, like all of the recipes in the cookbook, suggesting this was a well-known, well-trusted dish.

Unlike modern potato salads that rely on mayonnaise and refrigeration, this recipe reflects an older German and Midwestern tradition: potatoes dressed warm with a tangy, bacon-based sauce. The ingredient list is practical and economical, built around pantry staples and techniques that waste nothing. Saving a measured amount of bacon fat, thickening the dressing with flour and egg, and balancing sugar with vinegar and lemon juice all point to a cook who understood flavor through repetition, not experimentation.

The directions assume a confident home cook. There are no cautions about temperature, no reminders to stir constantly, no notes about timing. Words like “blend well” and “cook until thick” reflect a shared understanding among the women using this book. This was a recipe meant for church suppers, family gatherings and communal meals, where reliability mattered more than precision.