Loaded Baked Potato Salad
I started making this potato salad oven 15 years ago to take on picnics. My husband loved baked potatoes and his favorite soup is loaded potato soup. So I thought, why not put these flavors into a potato salad. It took me a few tries to get the ratios and flavor additions just right and this recipe has been our favorite ever since!
Loaded baked potato salad combines all of the goodness of classic creamy potato salad but made even more delicious with all the flavors of a loaded baked potato! Cheddar cheese, green onions, and plenty of bacon are just a few of the staples that make this potato salad so unforgettably good.
Important Ingredient Notes and Allergy Substitutions
Potatoes – I prefer to use red potatoes because they are soft and tender, but also have enough starch to hold their shape after they’re cut and cooked. The skin on red potatoes is also a lot thinner than russet potatoes, so it’s barely noticeable if you leave the potato skin on.
Shredded Cheese – Freshly shredded sharp cheddar will add great flavor to the potato salad but you can also use mild if needed or another cheese. You can even get a block of cheese you like, like a smoked Gouda, and grate it yourself of a large grater side.
Sour Cream – if you need a dairy free or lactose free option, you can use plant based sour cream or lactose free sour cream. Remember, there is MORE sour cream than mayo, so use sour cream you like.
Lyuba’s Tips For Loaded Baked Potato Salad
Cook the bacon – Preheat your oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with foil. Place a lightly sprayed wire rack on the baking sheet. Lay the bacon on the wire rack in a single layer and cook for 15-25 minutes, depending on how thick the bacon is. Let it cool until you’re able to crumble or cut it into bits.
You can choose to leave the skin on, and that will make it easier to chop potatoes and mix them into the salad. Potato skin is also where a lot of the nutrients are stored. When using red potatoes like we are here, you may quite enjoy the tender, delicate texture of the potato skin.
Cook the potatoes – Rinse the potatoes and place them in a pot. Fully submerge the potatoes with cold water and season with salt. Bring to a boil, then lower to medium heat. Cook until potatoes are tender (you can use a fork to check if they’re ready by piercing the middle of a potato). Drain the water and let the potatoes cool to room temperature.
Dice the potatoes into small pieces. You want everything cut into evenly sized small cubes so that it all mixes well and each bite has an equal amount of ingredients.
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Loaded Baked Potato Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb raw bacon
- 2 lbs red potatoes
- 1/2 cup chopped green onion
- 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 1 tbs minced fresh Dill Weed
- Salt
- black pepper
Instructions
Bacon:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, covering it entirely and up the sides. Place a wire rack in the baking sheet and lightly spray it with cooking spray.
- Lay bacon strips on top of the wire rack side by side and cook for 15-25 minutes. (Time will depend on the thickness of the bacon. The thicker the bacon slices, the longer it will take.) Keep an eye on it to make sure it’s crispy but not over-done.
- Cool cooked bacon until it’s easy to handle and crumble or cut into small pieces.
Potatoes:
- Rinse potatoes and place them in a pot. Fill the pot with cold water, enough to cover all the potatoes, and season with salt. Bring the pot to boil and lower the heat to medium.
- Cook until potatoes are tender. (You can stick a fork into the middle of a potato to test it.) Drain off water and let potatoes cool to room temperature.
Prepare Potato Salad:
- When potatoes cooled enough to handle, chop them into about 1/2-inch cubes.
- Combine chopped potatoes, crumbled bacon, diced green onion, shredded cheese, dill weed, mayo, sour cream, salt, and pepper.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
More Summer Side Dish Recipes to Try
Categories:
4th Of July Recipes, Appetizer Recipes, Backyard BBQ Recipes, Gluten Free Recipes, Potatoes, Salad Recipes, Side Dishes,All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.
By far the best potatoe salad I have ever made…thanks for the recipe!
Wow! Thank you for such a sweet compliment! I am so glad you liked it!
The best potato salad ever. My family devours it. My now go to potluck salad and home side dish.
I am so glad you like it, Dawn!
I’ll never make any other potato salad again! I’m in love with this recipe! Home run!
I love hearing that, Shelley! I am so glad you liked it!
This is the second time I’m making it. I doubled the recipe. Everyone loved it. It was delicious.
I am so glad you like the recipe, Jil!
Making this for the 3rd time in 2 weeks! We love this recipe. Thank you!
I am so glad you like it, Mary!
Love it! It’s a must have, have passed it to lots of people and they love it too
I love that you love it! Thanks for stopping by to let me know!
Freaking delicious!
Thank you, Angela!