While the hard-boiled eggs cool slightly, finely dice the celery, mince the onion, and finely dice the bell pepper. Keep these prepped vegetables separate for now. This advance preparation ensures everything comes together smoothly and prevents the salad from becoming watery—you want to add the fresh vegetables at the last moment for optimal texture and crunch.

Drain the canned potatoes thoroughly in a colander, gently pressing to remove excess liquid without breaking them apart. Transfer the drained potatoes to a large mixing bowl. I find that thoroughly draining the potatoes is essential—excess liquid will dilute the dressing and make the salad watery, so don't skip this step even though it seems simple.

In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sweet relish, and yellow mustard until well combined and smooth. This creates an emulsified dressing base that will coat everything evenly. Stir in the celery seed, salt, and black pepper, adjusting the seasoning to your taste. A little extra salt brightens all the flavors in a potato salad, so taste as you go.

Pour the dressing from Step 3 over the drained potatoes in the large bowl. Add the chopped hard-boiled eggs from Step 1 and gently fold everything together until the potatoes are evenly coated. Finally, fold in the diced celery, minced onion, and bell pepper from Step 1, mixing gently to distribute without breaking the potatoes. The vegetables should be incorporated throughout but still maintain their fresh texture.

Transfer the salad to a serving dish and dust generously with paprika for both color and a subtle smoky flavor. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld together. The salad actually tastes even better after a few hours in the refrigerator, so make it ahead if you can.