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Baked potatoes are the ultimate in comfort food, and this summery twist on a loaded baked potato salad is an awesome variation on the classic potatoes. With fluffy potatoes, sour cream, cheddar cheese, bacon, and chives, there is a whole lot of flavor in every awesome bite.
Loaded Potato Salad
This potato salad starts with baked Yukon Gold potatoes, which are naturally buttery and perfect for soaking up flavor. Then we mix in chopped hard-boiled eggs for a bit of richness and protein, plenty of freshly shredded cheddar, and of course, there’s plenty of bacon here. Because what’s a loaded potato anything without bacon?
Green onions add a bright freshness with just the right bite to balance the richness. And if you’re the kind of person who likes their potato salad extra creamy, you’ll be thrilled with this one.
As far as I’m concerned, potato salad lives or dies by its dressing. And this loaded potato salad recipe? It’s absolutely packed with flavor. Creamy, smoky, tangy, and just a little bit zesty thanks to a splash of vinegar and a hit of yellow mustard. The dressing clings to every chunk of potato. It isn’t just a background player in this salad, it ties everything together.
You’ll notice there’s a tablespoon of bacon grease in the recipe here. It might sound extra, but that little spoonful adds a smoky depth that pulls the whole dish together. If you’ve already cooked the bacon, you’ve got the grease anyway, so why not use it?
Loaded Baked Potato Salad
What I love about summer potato salads is how easy they are to adapt for different tastes and cravings. Want your salad extra cheesy? Go ahead. Add more cheese. Want some heat? Toss in chopped jalapeños or add some cayenne to the dressing.
For the vegetable lovers, tender potatoes mingle with crisp fresh vegetables in a creamy, herb dressing to take this Loaded Vegetable Potato Salad over the top.
Sweet corn, creamy potatoes, and crispy bacon are tossed with a smoky, tangy, street corn-inspired dressing to create the Bacon Lover’s Potato Salad of your dreams.
Creamy deviled egg filling creates the dressing that coats each bite of this Deviled Egg Potato Salad. Chunks of potato and hard-boiled eggs are tossed with the dressing to make the ultimate potato salad for anyone who loves deviled eggs.
Jalapenos and cheddar cheese make this Jalapeno Popper Potato Salad a guaranteed win. With a creamy, spicy dressing and smoky bites of bacon and egg throughout the salad, it’s a crowd favorite.
Loaded Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 2½ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon bacon grease (OPTIONAL, but highly recommended for smoky flavor)
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon plain white vinegar
- ½ teaspoon dried dill
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt adjust to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper adjust to taste
- 1 cup freshly shredded cheddar cheese
- 8 hard-boiled eggs roughly chopped
- 6 slices cooked bacon chopped or sliced small
- 4 green onions sliced thin
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Scrub the potatoes to remove all dirt, and then rinse and dry thoroughly. Poke several holes into each potato with a fork and then place them on a baking sheet. Bake for just over an hour, until fork-tender. They should be crisp on the outside and tender inside. Allow the potatoes to cool completely, and then peel and dice into ½-inch pieces.
- While the potatoes are baking, cook the bacon. Transfer the cooked bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, reserving 1 tablespoon of bacon grease. Cool completely before chopping or crumbling the bacon. Boil the eggs, peel, and roughly chop. Set the bacon and eggs aside.
- Combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, bacon grease, mustard, vinegar, dill, paprika, salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine. Add the potatoes to the bowl with the dressing and stir until thoroughly coated.
- Add the bacon, eggs, cheese, and green onions. Stir to combine. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Delicious! The potato salad I’ve been looking for all my life. But I always leave the skins on my russets, personal preference. Thank you for this great recipe!
Love this recipe/ thanks
I’m so glad you like it!