Loaded Baked Potato Salad

5 from 1 vote

Swap your simple summer side with a Loaded Baked Potato Salad. An easy way to elevate a homemade potato salad recipe with a hearty spin!

Prep Time10

Chill Time2

Total Time2 10

Course: Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 595kcal

Author: Jennifer Fishkind

Ingredients

2½ pounds yellow potatoes baked and cooled
½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup sour cream
1½ Tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper
12 ounce (1 package) bacon cooked, cooled, and crumbled
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded
¼ cup green onions chopped

Optional garnishes:

crumbled bacon, shredded cheese and green onions

Instructions

Peel the baked, peeled yellow potatoes and chop into cubes.
2½ pounds yellow potatoes
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, white wine vinegar, minced garlic, salt, and pepper until combined.
½ cup mayonnaise, ½ cup sour cream, 1½ Tablespoons white wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper
Gently toss the potatoes in the sauce until well coated.
Add in the crumbled bacon, cheese and green onions and stir together gently until combined.
12 ounce (1 package) bacon, 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, ¼ cup green onions
Cover well and place in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours.
Serve chilled, garnished with extra bacon, cheese and green onions, optional.
crumbled bacon, shredded cheese and green onions

Notes

Storage:

To Store: Leftover Loaded Baked Potato Salad should be stored in the refrigerator like any potato or mayonnaise based salad. It is best used within 3-4 days.
To Freeze: I do not recommend freezing this dish. There will be a drastic change in texture and a likely separation of the sauce.

Tips:

How to bake the potatoes: Bake the potatoes at 400 degrees for 45-60 minutes, depending on size. Be sure to pierce them with a fork before baking and bake just until a fork can easily pierce them but take them out before they get mushy. I liked using the higher heat because the skin blistered and gave more flavor to the potatoes. When peeling the baked potatoes, wait until they are cooled and then just remove the very outer layer. Any blistered parts underneath the peel should still be added to the salad for flavor. If a little bit of peel gets added to the salad it won’t hurt at all and some people even prefer a bit of peel in the salad on the potato cubes.
You can use any leftover baked (or even boiled) potatoes for this recipe. Baking the potatoes gives them a fluffy texture and a slightly sweeter, more concentrated flavor compared to boiling. Cooling the potatoes before mixing them into the salad helps them maintain their shape and prevents the salad from becoming mushy.
To make a German potato salad, swap the mayonnaise-based dressing for a vinegar-based sauce made with bacon drippings.
You can use any kind of bacon you prefer, including turkey bacon, chicken bacon, or even a vegan bacon. Tempeh, tofu, seitan, have a texture that's meaty, chewy, and crispy at the same time — just like bacon!
With a few simple swaps, potato salad recipes can be made vegan, vegetarian, dairy free, and suitable for most meal plans! Feel free to swap the bacon and dairy-based ingredients for your favorite plant-based substitutes.

Nutrition