Red Potato Salad

5 pounds red potatoes
1-2 cups Hellmann’s mayo (Hellmann’s is the only mayo I use for this recipe)
1 cup sour cream
1 pack Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 cup finely diced onions
1 cup baby dill pickles, diced (you can use dill relish but it won't taste quite as good because of all the juice that's in it)
1 cup diced fresh tomato
½ tsp celery seed or ½ cup chopped fresh celery
½ cup bacon bits or 6 slices cooked bacon diced
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 tbsp parsley, if fresh parsley is used – about 6 sprigs, finely diced
Paprika

Rinse potatoes well but don't peel them.  Put the potatoes in a pot and cover them with cold water and then turn on the stove.  Doing this from cold water takes a little longer but it keeps the skins from cracking so much and the potatoes retain more flavor.  Bring to a boil and cook them until they are cooked completely through, no less than 30 minutes.  Drain and then spread them out on a cookie sheet or counter top and let them cool for 2 hours.  Mix 1 cup of the mayonnaise, the sour cream and Ranch dressing mix together and refrigerate while the potatoes cool.

Cube the potatoes into ½ inch cubes, place in a large mixing bowl and add all the other ingredients on top of the potatoes before you stir everything together.  This keeps you from having to stir the mixture too much, which can make it pasty.  You can add the 2nd cup of mayonnaise after the initial mixing if it needs more creaminess.  Move the mixture to a bowl with a cover, smooth over the top and sprinkle with paprika.  Cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve; allow at least 2 hours in the fridge before you plan to serve.