One of my favorite salads isn’t your normal green salad (although still great), but instead this Loaded Potato Salad. Although ‘salad’ is in the name, it’s probably not one of the healthier salads to enjoy frequently – but oh boy, when I do, I can shovel down 3-4 helpings of this dish. Normally this is one of those salads you enjoy for cook-outs, potlucks, or a night grillin’ out back with friends… but since I haven’t seen anyone in over two weeks due to social distancing, I didn’t want to miss out on dishes I normally make for outings or groups; or perhaps, I just wanted to make a dish that brought back memories of shindigs and social gatherings. Either way, I wanted to make this Loaded Potato Salad regardless of the number of people (or lack there of) here to enjoy it.

What you need to make this Loaded Potato Salad

Russet potatoes
Sour cream
Mayo
Bacon
Green onions or Chives
Shedded Cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper

The ingredient list is fairly simple – some of you may already have what’s needed to make this salad in your fridge and pantry. If not, these are all things you can stock up on and use for numerous recipes, or keep on hand since they have a longer shelf life (potatoes, mayo). I know times are tough at the moment, I mean, really tough. And if you’re like me (someone who doesn’t deal with uncertainty well), my anxiety levels have sky rocketed. With that being said, making some of my ‘treat yourself’ dishes, has really turned some bad days around. This recipe came about as I stood looking at our nearly empty fridge, I first spotted the mayo first, and then the sour cream… I crossed my fingers and opened the cheese draw, and there it was, an old (but still usable!) bag of cheddar cheese, and thought, Hell Ya! I‘m making loaded potato salad… It’s the small things I’ve learned to appreciate. *Keep up to date on COVID-19 by visiting World Health Organization.

How to make Loaded Potato Salad

First things first, grab a large pot and bring water to a boil. Grab around 6 – 8 medium sized Russet potatoes, leave the skins on, and wash potatoes thoroughly. Once they’re all squeaky clean, cube potatoes and add them to the boiling water. Keep checking on them by poking a couple potatoes with a fork to check their tenderness; once the fork can easily pierce the potatoes, remove them from heat, strain and set them aside to cool completely.

Now it’s time to focus on the BACON! Grab a medium skillet, and on medium heat, begin to cook bacon. Now, personally, I love bacon well done – practically burnt (lol), however, for this salad I recommend not cooking the bacon until it’s burnt. Instead, cook bacon until it reaches medium with a slight crisp! Once ready, remove bacon and place on a plate lined with paper towel*, soaking up excess bacon grease. Once the bacon has cooled, rip or chop (your preference) to prepare for the salad. *You may need to press your bacon with paper towel, to thoroughly remove all grease

In a large mixing bowl, add mayo, sour cream, green onions (or chives), 1 3/4 cups of cheese and cooled bacon – mix well. Slowly add in potatoes to mixture, folding them carefully to avoid breaking or crushing potatoes!

Now, when serving this salad, there’s two ways to go about it: 1) Place it in fridge until chilled, and then serve, or, 2) Serve immediately after making. It’s interesting, some people prefer this salad on the warm side, since it reminds them of a loaded baked potato… I’m a sucker for a cold Loaded Potato Salad! To each their own. Regardless, when you’re ready to serve the salad, top with remaining cheese and green onion/chives.

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