Time: 1 hours and 20 minutes             Servings: 12

Salads can be prepared any time during the year. However, when I hear summer, I hear salads. They can be served as the main meal or as a side dish to anything of your preference like barbecue, etc.  In this recipe, we are going to make an unusual way of making potato salad.

This loaded baked potato salad is made with simple ingredients that you will have available in your kitchen. Each ingredient plays an important role to the texture and taste of this recipe. The way these ingredients are baked and mixed also contributes to the magnificent end result of our salad. It is highly recommended that you follow the instructions of this recipe and bake the potatoes in the oven instead of boiling them. The texture of these potatoes are lighter when they are baked. This texture makes it easier to absorb the sour cream and mayo. This makes our salad very creamy and soft. In order to add crispiness to the texture, we add some chopped bacon and onion. To add more flavour, we toss some cheddar cheese, too.

You will not actually waste a lot of time making this salad. It takes only 20 minutes to prepare. You cook it for 1 hour and you give it time to chill for 3 hours. The colder the salad is, the better. Hence, you can even chill this salad overnight before serving it. In addition to this, this salad is very simple to prepare. The details on how to make it are very clear. Just follow them as they are below. For substitutions and tips, check the notes’ section below. Moreover, this salad is enough to make 12 servings. Each serving will provide you with 463 Kcal. For people who are interested to know how nutritious this salad is, you will find more information about this below.

How to serve?

You can serve cold as a main meal or as a side dish to a meal of your choice, like barbecue, etc.

How to store?

You can store this salad in a sealed container in the fridge for a maximum of 4 days.

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 pounds russet potatoes
• 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• ¾ cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 12 ounces of cooked, cooled and chopped bacon ,
• 6 of chopped green onions ,
• 1 and ½ cups  of shredded medium cheddar cheese ,

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Prepare the oven by heating at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Put the cleaned potatoes on a baking sheet and insert a fork 4 to 5 times.
3. Coat the potatoes slightly with olive oil. Sprinkle some kosher salt on top.
4. Place the baking sheet in the oven to cook for 50 to 6 minutes. To check if the potatoes are done, pierce with a skewer or a cake tester.
5. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow the potatoes to cool for 5 minutes.
6. Peel the potatoes once they are cooked and cut into 1-inch chunks.
7. Place the potatoes in a large mixing bowl and sprinkle them with apple cider vinegar.
8. Allow them to rest for 15 to 30 minutes maximum.
9. While you leave the potatoes to rest, cook the bacon in a large skillet. Drain any excess fat and let it cool. Cut into bite-size pieces.
10. To make the sauce, mix the sour cream with mayonnaise in a small bowl. Add some kosher salt and pepper.
11. Pour the prepared sauce over the thoroughly cooled potatoes. Add in the crumbled bacon, cheddar cheese and green onion. Combine the ingredients together gently. Season with pepper and salt according to your taste.
12. Place it in the fridge for 3 hours or overnight before you serve.

Notes:

• Instead of sour cream, you can use Greek Yogurt.
• If you do not want your house to smell like bacon, bake the bacon after the potatoes have been cooked at 400 degrees Fahrenheit until the bacon is crispy. This would take about 15 minutes.
• It is better to use russet potatoes. They are starchier.
• Using foil to bake potatoes helps keeping the warmth of the potatoes. It also helps the skin to be softer and not harsh.
• You can reduce the amount of bacon if you like.
• You can use chives instead of green onion.

Nutrition Facts:

Serving: 1g | Calories: 463kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 608mg | Potassium: 741mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 314IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 145mg | Iron: 2mg