Cold Plate Recipe, Newfoundland Style!

Creamy potato and mustard salad, tangy beet salad, pineapple, corn, turkey, ham, lettuce, tomato and Newfoundland style dressing are the perfect beginnings to make the most amazing cold plate.

Who doesn’t love a good old fashioned cold plate? Newfoundland households and restaurants are famous for making delicious cold plates. Serving them up for many years!

You see, it was always tradition to cook a nice big dinner on Sunday whether it was roast, ham, chicken, turkey or whatever.

This was served for dinner and then the leftover potatoes would be made into a salad and the meat reserved for the most delicious Cold Plate.

Note: in Newfoundland Dinner is Lunch & Supper is dinner.

I remember it well, all the children would get dressed up & be made to go to church every Sunday while Mom would stay behind and cook dinner. Dinner was usually the same some sort of meat vegetables and potatoes smothered in gravy.

I would imagine just about every table in Newfoundland had the same. Tables surrounded with children and adults. The same meal prepared. Sundays were very special days back then.

I remember Mom cooking the dinner mostly for Sunday, Not sure what Dad was up to while all us girls were in church. After our dinner was ate we would help mom clear away the mess.

We would place aside the left overs for the cold plates and they were absolutely delicious. If there was one thing mom could make it was really really good potato salad. She still does.

My brother in law drives a half an hour from Petty Harbour just to have mom make it for him!

Today I am going to show you how to make moms potato salad along with a few other salads that make up in my opinion the most delicious cold plate you’ll ever have!

I am first going to share a video tutorial such that you can make these salads for you and your loved ones.

I sure hope you enjoyed the video. Below you’ll find a step by step guide to impress your family and friends.

Newfoundland Cold Plate 101.

The very 1st thing you have to do is make your vegetable salad. This salad used to be sold in little cans and was discontinued maybe in the late 80’s early 90’s. It was so delicious you could eat it straight from the can.

I remember before they discontinued it. They changed it a bit, something to do with the tin cans the result wasn’t as good and the peas were hard! It was disappointing but still good. I’m not sure if you can buy it elsewhere but its not available in Newfoundland grocery stores anymore.

To make this salad you will need the following ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Miracle whip salad dressing
• 2 tsp. prepared mustard
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 2 tsp. vinegar
• 2 tsp Carnation evaporated milk
• 1 can peas and carrots

Method:

Combine all ingredients and set aside. I like to add the peas and carrots later as shown in the video.

I always double this recipe. Its very good and ads the most wonderful flavor.

The next thing I do is mince a small onion …you can do this 1st if you like & it is optional. add 1 tbsp vinegar & 1 tsp sugar & let it marinate while you prepare the rest of your ingredients.

For the Potato Salad:

Boil until fork tender 4-5 lbs. of potatoes mash well or put through a potato ricer. This will be enough for your potato, beet and mustard salads.

Divide your mashed potato into 3 portions small, medium and large. The large will be your potato the medium for beet and the small for mustard. That’s usually how we do it here are the potato is usually gone before the rest.

Add your prepared vegetable salad to the potatoes ; 1/2 in the potato salad, 1/4 in the beet and 1/4 in the mustard. That’s why you use the small medium and large bowls.

Mix well, for the potato salad add about 1/3 cup of Miracle whip ( links above) or more to taste. Add 3/4 can of your peas and carrot. You can add the full can if you don’t want any in the beet salad. Along with a couple tablespoons of your onion. Mix, taste and top with paprika if desired.

For the Beet Salad:

I always use my homemade beet for this. If you don’t have any on hand you can use the store brand pickled beet or a can or harvard beet like here :

https://www.thriftyfoods.com/product/harvard-beetsdiced

My homemade ones are shown below:

To make the beet salad you will need to coarsely chop 6-8 pieces of pickled beet not whole beet. Add to your medium bowl that already has the potatoes and the 1/4 of the vegetable salad mix.

Stir until combined and then add about 1 tablespoon of the juice from your bottle of beet. Trust me its scary but that’s what gives the salad a gorgeous deep pink color.

Mix well, add 1/4 cup miracle whip, some more marinated onion and taste to see if you need more miracle whip. Top with paprika if desired.

For the Mustard Salad:

For the mustard salad you will use your smallest bowl. It already has your potato and vegetable salad mix in there so all you have to do is add 1 & 1/2 Tbsp. of yellow prepared mustard and a heaping tablespoon of Miracle whip. Add remaining onion if desired.

The next salad I usually make is Broccoli salad. It is not traditionally found on a Newfoundland cold plate but it is one of the most delicious salads I have ever tasted.

The first time I had it I was working as a color technician for Gail Hart and she was having a dinner party. Jeffrey Altenburg was a guest he was a pretty big deal back in the day. He even hosted the show Look a Likes. See him in action below.

We lost contact over the years I wonder what he’s up to now.

How to make Broccoli Salad:

Ingredients:

• a bunch of broccoli
• 1/4 cup raisins and or dried cranberries
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1/2 package bacon cooked well & crumbled
• a handful of grapes halved
• 2/3 cup Miracle whip
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 & 1/2 ounces of white vinegar (just under 1/4 cup)

Mix all ingredients in a bowl except for the last 3. Whisk your Miracle whip, sugar & vinegar then add to your other ingredients and stir to combine. Allow to sit for at least an hour in the refrigerator before serving.

Lastly we have Corn and pineapple salad. This is a wonderful little salad not everyone makes it the same. I absolutely adore it so Yummy!

Corn & Pineapple Salad:

For this salad you will need:

• a can of crushed pineapple
• a can of corn
• a small apple diced ( i used McIntosh for the color red.)
• 1/2 cup Miracle whip
• 3 Tbsp. white vinegar
• 2 tsp. sugar

Combine all ingredients and mix well refrigerate until ready to use.

Typically a traditional Newfoundland Cold plate would also have Macaroni salad as well as coleslaw. I didn’t make any this time, but next time I do I’ll be sure to include a tutorial with pics.

We served ours with leftover turkey, dressing aka stuffing, boiled ham rolls, iceberg lettuce, sliced tomato and hard cheddar cheese.

I was recently invited to CBC for a pilot project called Dish it Out. Featuring my cold plate along with 2 other wonderful Newfoundlanders.

The episode is due to air March 11, 2024. We have a cold plate show down be sure to watch. Here is a link to the show.

I will share a few of my favorite ingredients as usual. Miracle Whip made by Kraft is a must have for the potato salad the rest just won’t do.

https://www.kraftwhatscooking.ca/products/spreads-condiments/kraft-miracle-whip-0000000743

I cannot forget the carnation milk; a staple still to this day in so many Newfoundland homes.

https://www.carnationmilk.ca/En/Home

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I sure hope you enjoy these Tried & True Salad recipes & give them a go for your family to enjoy.