Let’s just be totally clear: potato salad is not photogenic. I almost didn’t even share this insanely creamy, rich potato salad with you because it’s, um, not so easy on the eyes. BUT! The more I thought about it, the more I knew I needed to [knowing you would totally understand it’s not the prettiest recipe ever, because you’re such forgiving souls] ’cause it’s just so gosh darn good.
It may not technically be summer just yet, but memorial day weekend is upon us, so we can at LEAST affirmatively say it’s BBQ season. And you know what that means: it’s basically potato salad season. Because are you even barbecuing if you don’t have potato salad? Well certainly not if you ask anyone who’s anyone [which is anyone…].
So that just means you’re in luck, because this just so happens to be the best potato salad ever. I mean, you can’t go wrong with classic. creamy. bacon. potato salad. It’s so indulgent, and so perfect. Even sous chef-approved. THOUGH! He did look at me as if I had committed some sort of sin when he realized I added bacon. So I just kind of had to shoot back the of-course-I-added-bacon/do-you-even-know-your-wife look, you know. And let’s be serious, bacon makes everything taste better. Pierogies, scallops, risotto, you name it. I literally mean anything. I still swear the best ice cream I’ve ever had was bacon flavored [GASP, I know]. Is it a bit over-the-top? Probably. Was I in love? Absolutely.
Moving right along [I could spend the rest of my days professing my adoration for bacon]! So the sous chef can be, well… a teensy bit snooty about his potato salads, if you will. You know, insists upon adding certain things. Swears celery seeds are the secret ingredient. But I say the secret to a perfect potato salad is cubing the potatoes super small – that way you aren’t biting into big plain ol’ boring chunks of potato, and instead, you have tons of flavor all over. Just trust me on this one. Who knows, maybe we’re both right. I mean, this potato salad does have both celery seed and tiny chunks of potato, after all.
| Prep Time | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time | 20 minutes |
| Servings |
people
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- 2 lbs. baby red potatoes scrubbed
- 5 strips smoked bacon cooked, crumbled
- 1 small/medium sweet yellow onion diced
- 4 stalks celery diced
- 3 hard boiled eggs chopped
- 1 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup relish
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons celery seed
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Ingredients
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- Boil the baby red potatoes for 15 minutes, or until fork tender. Strain and let cool. Dice the baby red potatoes into small cubes, about a centimeter in size.
- In a medium pan, cook the bacon over medium heat until brown and crispy, about 7-8 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. Once cool, crumble the bacon. Reserve 2 tablespoons of bacon fat, and discard any excess.
- Using the reserved bacon fat, saute the diced onion over medium heat until the onions begin to turn golden brown, about 8-10 minutes. Let cool.
- Once cool, combine the diced potatoes, crumbled bacon, sauteed onions, celery, and hardboiled eggs into a large bowl.
- In a bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the mayonnaise, relish, dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, celery seed, sugar, paprika, salt, and ground black pepper.
- Pour the dressing over top of the potato salad, tossing to coat. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Chill for several hours or overnight before serving for best flavor. ENJOY!
For best results, serve with your favorite cold beer and barbecue!
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