Delicious Loaded Potato Salad

This creamy potato salad is so delicious and easy to make! Loaded with crispy bacon, cheese, green onions and more it is always a hit at any party or picnic! If you love a loaded baked potato you’ll love this refreshing salad version that is perfect for hot summer days!

Summer means warm weather, cookouts and barbeques! One of my staples for any outdoor meals or gatherings is potato salad! It is one of those dishes that everyone loves, creamy, well seasoned, and loaded with amazing toppings this recipe is the best potato salad to serve up with almost anything! I love it more than traditional potato salad because it has more flavor (& it is easier to make!) It is always a crowd pleaser, everyone will be asking for the recipe!

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What to serve with this potato salad –

This delicious potato salad recipe goes with pretty much anything! It is the perfect side dish, for hot dogs, burgers, grilled chicken, steak or even grilled salmon. It is a great addition to summer picnics because it goes well with pretty much anything! If you would serve a classic potato salad recipe, you can serve this one instead!

How far ahead can I make this potato salad-

I love a recipe that I can make a day or two ahead expecially when I am planning a summer party. There are so many things to get taken care of it is nice to make some side dishes ahead of time! Thankfully this potato salad is one of those dishes that is just as tasty (if not tastier) the next day! If you are making it ahead I suggest not mixing in the bacon until you are ready to serve the salad, that way it stays nice and crispy. After storing the salad for a day or two the bacon will still tasty good but it softens so it is best to add it at when you are ready to serve.

What variations can I make?

While I love this recipe just the way it is, there are some delicious variations you can make for a different flavor or a fun twist! You can use your favorite kind of cheese, I like to use sharp cheddar cheese, but mild cheddar is great, or you could add a little spice with some pepper jack! You can also add extra cheese, or extra bacon if those are your favorite loaded baked potato toppings! Another great addition is ranch dressing instead of mayo. It adds more flavor, and is perfect for ranch lovers! You can try other dressings for other combinations, blue cheese, creamy Italian, or any other creamy dressing can add another layer of flavor. Want to use turkey bacon, or a vegetarian bacon? Go ahead! The bacon adds a delicious flavor and alternative bacons will do that perfectly!

What are the best potatoes to use?

There are so many kinds of potatoes out there it can be hard to figure out which ones make a good potato salad and which ones make a GREAT potato salad! For this recipe, and most other potato salad recipes I like to use small red potatoes. They are my favorite for several reasons, they have a nice thin skin so there is not need to peel them before using them, they are easy to chop into bite size pieces, and their texture is creamy and soft and not too starchy. A bonus is that their skin adds some nice color to the potato salad. Another small, thin skinned potato that works really well is yukon golds. You can usually find them in a nice small size and they can also be used without peeling. The most common potatoes, russet potatoes, work with this recipe too, but there is just a bit more of a process to get them prepped. Most russet potatoes are fairly large, and have a thicker skin, which is why they are perfect for baked potatoes. If you are using russets you’ll need to peel them, and do a bit more chopping. They also tend to be a bit more starchy than red potatoes so they may need to cook a bit longer.

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Here’s what you’ll need for this potato salad

3 lbs (about 10 small/med) Red Skinned Potatoes

1 lb Package of Bacon cooked

1 Cup Mayonnaise

1 Cup Sour Cream

2 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese

5 Green Onions

1 tsp Garlic Powder

1tsp Onion Powder

½ tsp Smoked Paprika 

Salt & black pepper to taste

Here’s how to make this loaded potato salad recipe

The first thing we’re going to do is get the potatoes cooking. You’ll want to thoroughly scrub your potatoes (& peel them if you’re not using red skinned potatoes) and chop them into bite size pieces.

Place the potato chunks in a large pot of water with a pinch of salt, you need just enough water to cover the tops of the potatoes. Place the pan on the stove top. Turn the heat on high and heat until the water boils. Turn the heat down to medium/low to simmer. Allow to simmer for about 8-10 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.

Drain the potatoes in a colander and immediately rinse the warm potatoes with cold water. By rinsing the potatoes you’ll stop the cooking process so that they stay firm enough to hold their shape in the salad. Once they are cooled off set them aside while you prepare the rest of the salad.

In a large bowl combine mayonnaise, sour cream, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, stir until well combined.

Next, finely slice your green onions, cut the white part and about half way up the green part. Crumble your cooked bacon into small pieces.

Now place your cooled cooked potatoes into the large bowl with the mayonnaise mixture, stir to coat the potatoes completely. Next place in your bacon bits, shredded cheese, and sliced green onions. Gently stir until the toppings are well distributed throughout the salad. Give it a taste and add salt and pepper if desired.

You can serve this immediately or cover it with plastic wrap and store in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.