A decadent loaded potato salad with bacon, cheese, and green onion: Sure to make Grandma question her recipe!
Growing up, cook-outs were always my favorite summer activity. The whole family would gather; my dad would grill the meat, and my mom would make, well, everything else. Except, the “salads…” those were my grandma’s specialty. Not a salad in terms of crunchy green vegetables, but instead a dressing-based cold dish. Usually it was macaroni salad, pasta salad, or the favorite, potato salad.
This is NOT her recipe. It’s not traditional or old-timey in any way. Instead, it’s in-your-face, oh-my-gosh, loaded-up modern goodness.
Maybe it’s the pound of bacon or the heaping piles of cheese and green onion, either way it’s a mouth-watering summer staple for every cook-out. And it’s one true recipe that will make you pass on grandma’s version. (I hope she doesn’t whoop me for saying that…haha) So tell Grandma, she doesn’t have to make the salad this time, you got this!
not-your-grandma’s Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 3 lbs red potatoes, washed and cut into 1.5" pieces
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tsp course salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1-1/4 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese
- 1 lb bacon, cooked crisp and chopped into pieces
- 1 bunch green onion, washed and chopped
Instructions
- First, gather all ingredients. ((Pretend I included cheese in this photo. oops)) Use your preferred brands- I know mayo is highly debatable, and I do not have a stand in this one. I grabbed this particular brand because it was glaring at me on an end cap at the grocery store. No other reason.
- I also use this time to cook my bacon until crisp. I typically bake it at 400 degrees on an aluminum foil-lined pan for roughly 20 minutes as a simple, clean way to prepare bacon. Chop it into small pieces once it's done, and be sure to eat a piece or two as a treat for yourself. (You made plenty. Go for it!)
- Wash your red potatoes thoroughly and chop them up into chunks. Attempt to make them all roughly the same size so they can cook evenly. (ps. there is a coupon code at the end of this recipe for 10% off any Caraway Cookware purchase!)
- Fill your pot with cold water and boil them until fork tender, roughly 30 minutes or so. Watch them carefully, checking them as needed. Little tip: keep a wooden spoon laying across the top of your pot to keep it from boiling over.
- Fork tender is when the fork can insert the potato without it breaking apart. You want a firm-soft potato. ((Imagine slightly undercooked in comparison to making mashed potatoes.)) These potatoes need to retain their shape.
- While the potatoes are cooking, mix up your sour cream, mayo, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Keep cold until ready to use.
- Once the potatoes are cooked to the perfect tenderness, remove them from the heat. Drain the water from the potatoes.
- Immediately run cold water over the potatoes to stop the cooking process. Continue with cold water until the potatoes are cool.
- Toss your solid ingredients together in a large bowl: Potatoes, 1 cup of cheese, a big handful of green onion, and the majority of your bacon. Reserve some cheese, bacon, and green onion to garnish the top of the salad.
- Pour the sour cream/mayo dressing in and mix until everything is well-coated. Be gentle, not to mash the potatoes.
- Refrigerate the salad until it is cold all the way through. I prefer to refrigerate overnight, but a few hours is sufficient.
- Once it's cold, garnish the potato salad with your leftover bacon, cheese, and green onion and serve!
Now that you’ve got a decadent side dish, check out my WV Dogs recipe for an unforgettable cook-out menu! Or if you are planning a quick on-the-go lunch, try Picnic Party Wraps. They pair perfectly with a bowl of cold, fresh potato salad.
Use this link to grab one of those pretty multi-purpose pots in a set from Caraway. By clicking the link, $40 off will automatically apply to your entire order. (and a small proceed will help support this blog!)
Happy cook-out season! And again, sorry grandma! You can still make the macaroni salad…
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Looks delicious, I am going to try subbing cauliflower for the potatoes!
Potato salad is literally my favorite thing to eat. This recipe is easy and it tastes great. Thanks for sharing.
This kind of potato salad sounds ridiculously good – and best of all, no hard boiled eggs! I love bacon and cheese.
I love your recipe posts, they are informative and make me smile at the same time. I’ve actually never made potato salad before (thought it must be complicated) however, this looks easy and doable to make.
Sounds delicious! Pinning for later.
Looks amazing!
This looks incredible! So much more exciting that my usual recipe! Thank you!