Description
This Ultimate Loaded Potato Salad is a hearty and flavorful side dish that combines creamy potatoes with crispy bacon, sharp cheddar cheese, and a tangy dressing. Perfect for picnics, barbecues, or family gatherings, this recipe balances textures and rich flavors for an irresistible salad everyone will love.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables and Protein
- 1.5 kg (3 lb 5 oz) baby potatoes
- 6 slices streaky bacon, cooked until crispy, then crumbled
- 4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and roughly chopped or grated
- 4 spring onions (scallions), finely sliced, plus extra to garnish
Dressing and Seasonings
- 1 cup (125 g) freshly grated sharp cheddar or similar cheese
- ¾ cup (185 g) whole-egg mayonnaise
- ¼ cup (60 g) sour cream
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- Sea salt flakes, to taste
- Cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cook the Potatoes: Place the baby potatoes in a large pot of salted water. Bring to a boil and cook for about 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender. Drain and allow them to cool slightly.
- Prepare the Bacon and Eggs: While potatoes are cooking, fry the streaky bacon slices in a pan over medium heat until crispy. Remove from pan, drain on paper towels, and crumble once cooled. Hard-boil the eggs, then peel and chop or grate them roughly.
- Make the Dressing: In a large bowl, combine the whole-egg mayonnaise, sour cream, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, sea salt flakes, and cracked black pepper. Mix well to create a creamy dressing.
- Combine Ingredients: Cut cooled potatoes into halves or quarters depending on size. Add them to the dressing along with crumbled bacon, grated cheddar cheese, chopped hard-boiled eggs, and finely sliced spring onions. Gently fold everything together until well coated.
- Adjust Seasoning and Garnish: Taste the salad and adjust seasoning with extra salt and pepper as needed. Garnish with additional sliced spring onions for a fresh touch.
- Chill and Serve: For best flavor, refrigerate the potato salad for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Notes
- You can substitute smoked paprika or fresh herbs like dill or parsley for added flavor variation.
- Use red wine vinegar if apple cider vinegar is unavailable; it offers a slightly different tang.
- For a lighter version, reduce the amount of mayonnaise and replace some sour cream with Greek yogurt.
- The salad can be made a day ahead and stored covered in the refrigerator.
- If baby potatoes are unavailable, use small new potatoes or fingerlings.
