Description
Loaded Potato Salad is a hearty and flavorful side dish featuring tender boiled potatoes mixed with a creamy dressing, sharp cheddar cheese, crispy bacon, hard-boiled eggs, dill pickles, and fresh green onions. This classic comfort food is perfect for picnics, barbecues, or potlucks, offering a satisfying blend of textures and zesty flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
Potatoes
- 4 pounds russet or Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
Dressing
- 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
Mix-ins
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 12 slices of bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled
- 3 large hard-boiled eggs, chopped
- 1/2 cup diced dill pickles
- 1/2 cup sliced green onions
Instructions
- Cook the potatoes: Place the peeled and cubed potatoes in a large pot. Cover them with cold water and add salt to season. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook the potatoes until they are fork-tender, about 15-20 minutes.
- Prepare the dressing: While the potatoes are cooking, combine the mayonnaise, yellow mustard, apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and well-combined.
- Combine potatoes and dressing: Drain the cooked potatoes and let them cool slightly. Add the warm potatoes to the dressing mixture and gently stir to coat all the potatoes evenly.
- Add mix-ins: Fold in the shredded cheddar cheese, crumbled bacon, chopped hard-boiled eggs, diced dill pickles, and sliced green onions gently until all ingredients are evenly distributed throughout the salad.
- Chill the salad: Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to meld and the salad to chill thoroughly.
- Adjust seasoning and serve: Before serving, stir the salad well and taste for seasoning. Add additional salt, pepper, or mustard as desired for extra flavor.
- Garnish: Sprinkle extra sliced green onions and chopped fresh chives on top as a garnish to add freshness and color before serving.
Notes
- Use russet potatoes for a fluffier texture or Yukon gold for a creamier, buttery flavor.
- Make sure to cool potatoes slightly before mixing with dressing to prevent it from becoming too runny.
- To save time, hard-boil the eggs and cook the bacon ahead of time.
- This salad tastes even better after resting overnight in the refrigerator.
- For a lighter option, use low-fat mayonnaise or Greek yogurt instead of regular mayonnaise.
- Bacon can be substituted with turkey bacon or omitted for a vegetarian version (omit bacon and hard-boiled eggs for strict vegetarian).
