This simple and tasty potato salad recipe is the perfect side dish for Juneteenth cookouts

Juneteenth is a celebration of freedom for African Americans.

The first Juneteenth was celebrated on June 19, 1865, after Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, and informed the enslaved African Americans they were free. Although enslaved African Americans were freed under the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, the executive order wasn't acknowledged in parts of the Confederate South and many slaveholders fled deeper south.

Now, 157 years later, African Americans across the country celebrate with potlucks, cookouts, family meals, and neighborhood gatherings that foster community.

"Few things build community as well as food," culinary historian Adrian Miller told Insider. "And when it comes to emancipation celebrations, those weren't really celebrated at home. They were public events."

Ahead of Juneteenth, I made Aunt TC's potato salad recipe shared by Kardea Brown, a Southern cook of Gullah-Geechee descent and the host of Food Network's "Delicious Miss Brown." The recipe took less than an hour to make, used everyday ingredients, and will complete any potluck.

To make this potato salad recipe, you'll need:

• ½ tsp of kosher salt and pepper
• 10 pounds of red potatoes
• ⅔ cup sweet pickle relish
• ½ cup yellow mustard
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp smoked paprika, plus additional for sprinkling
• 12 large hard-boiled eggs, quartered
• ½ red onion, diced
• ½ green bell pepper, diced
• 3 to 4 cups of mayonnaise

Place the eggs in a stovetop pot with cold water and bring to a boil for 10 to 12 minutes. Once hard-boiled, remove the eggs from the water with a slotted spoon and let them cool in cold water.

Then, peel each egg, quarter them, and set them aside.

Dice ½ green bell pepper and ½ red onion, then set aside in separate bowls.

10 pounds of red potatoes is a lot and would probably feed an entire cookout, so feel free to cut down the amount if you're cooking for a smaller crowd.

According to the recipe, fill a large stockpot with heavily salted water and add the potatoes, then bring everything to a boil. Aunt TC advised cooking the potatoes for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until they're tender.

If you don't have a large stockpot, you'll probably have to do this step twice to work through all the potatoes. I added 2 ½ tbsp of salt.

Drain the potatoes and let them cool, the recipe said. Then cut them into smaller pieces depending on your preference.

Finally, mix the potatoes and ingredients to complete the potato salad. In a large bowl, add ⅔ cup relish, ½ cup yellow mustard, 1 tsp of garlic powder and onion powder, eggs, onion, bell pepper, and three cups of mayonnaise.

The recipe called for a "pinch" of salt and pepper, so I added 1 tsp each.

Pour the potatoes into the wet ingredients and mixed them.

Aunt TC suggested adding additional mayonnaise if the potato salad seems dry. Add some smoked paprika on top and enjoy!

From the first bite, Aunt TC's potato salad reminded me of summer cookouts in the South with friends and family. It has a great flavoring, with the sweet pickle relish, and the eggs really stand out to me. The egg yolks added to the texture and added a subtle creamy consistency.

I also think the amount of mayonnaise wasn't too much! Personally, I like my potato salad right in the middle — not too dry and not too wet. Three cups were perfect for the number of potatoes the recipe required.

I would definitely make this recipe for the next potluck!