The official first day of Spring is days away and the weather is starting to warm up. I can’t think of a better way to welcome the season than to host a family gathering, which is exactly what we’re doing this weekend. I’m sure there won’t be a shortage of food, fun, and laughter.
One of the dishes I plan to serve is this potato salad. It’s full of all the flavors found in a loaded baked potato — bacon, green onion, sour cream, and cheese. And it’s so quick and easy to make.
It’s much easier to peel a cold potato, so I boil the potatoes with the skin on the night before. After they’re cooked, I drain out all the water and let the potatoes get nice and cold in the fridge overnight. Waxy potatoes are best because they keep their shape after boiling. I used large red potatoes, though russet, new potatoes, or any waxy variety will work.
The next day, peel and cut the potatoes and place them in a large mixing bowl along with all the other ingredients. And, of course, I put my own little twist by adding ranch seasoning mix. Stir gently to mix. That’s all there is to it. Super easy and amazingly flavorful. This is a tried-and-true family favorite, and I hope you like it as much as we do.
Enjoy!
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Worry-Free Cooking |
- It’s so much easier to prepare potatoes using a Stock Pot with a Strainer Insert. When the potatoes are done, I just lift the strainer to drain — no need for a colander and you avoid spills and hot water splashes. Plus, one less dish to clean!
- I use my favorite 8-quart Mixing Bowl to pull together and combine all the ingredients in this recipe. It’s my go-to bowl because of its perfect size and shape for mixing.
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Menu Planning |
- This salad is an ideal make ahead dish for dinners, potlucks, backyard barbecues, pool parties, and more. Store prepared salad in the fridge for up to four days.
- Serve as a side dish with steak, burgers, or chicken. It’s especially good with anything off the grill or barbecue like Dry Rubbed Country Style Barbecue Ribs.
- Leftovers taste great just as they are. If you want something a little different, put leftover potato salad in a casserole dish sprayed with nonstick spray, then bake in the oven for about 30 minutes at 350° F.
- This hearty dish can be a meal all by itself for lunch or dinner. Serve with a cup of soup on the side.
- Have extra bacon leftovers from breakfast? Crumble it up and toss it into the salad.
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Helping Hand |
- Red skin potatoes hold their shape better when making this salad. I’ve also used other kinds like russet and Idaho potatoes, which tend to create a softer consistency in the salad (still quite tasty, though). Try them all and see which you like best.
- I like to boil my potatoes and leave them in the fridge overnight to cool. It makes handling and peeling potatoes so much easier. A serrated peeler is an excellent choice for getting the job done.
- This recipe calls for boiled potatoes; however, you can easily substitute baked potatoes for a more earthy salad. Poke cleaned potatoes 4 – 5 times, lightly oil and season potatoes with kosher salt, and bake on the center rack in the oven for about an hour at 400° F.
- To skin or not to skin the potatoes? It’s a personal choice for sure. If you can’t decide, meet in the middle by removing half the skin.
- Consider frying up some fresh bacon instead of using bagged bacon bits.
- Use the entire green onion from the white bottoms all the way to the green tops (removing the roots and wilted parts, of course).
- For a milder flavor with less onions, substitute chives for green onions.
- An effective way to ensure seasonings are evenly distributed is to combine ingredients in two steps. After adding potatoes to the bowl, add half of all the ingredients to the bowl and gently mix. Then add the remaining half of ingredients and gently mix again until evening combined.
- Letting the salad chill in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving releases more flavors. If your family isn’t pounding their knives and forks on the table waiting for dinner, let the salad chill. If there’s no time; no worries. You can serve the salad immediately and still have a quite tasty dish.
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Grocery & Gourmet |
- While any packet of ranch seasoning or dip mix will work, I recommend Hidden Valley Seasoning & Salad Mix for its bolder flavors. I use this stuff in a variety of recipes, which makes the larger size well worth it.
- As always, I recommend using real mayonnaise for savory dishes like this one. My favorites are Hellmann's Real Mayonnaise and Duke's Creamy Real Mayonnaise.
