Ultimate Bacon Potato Salad
You know how you can get a certain food stuck in your mind and you just can’t forget it? Well, this Ultimate Bacon Potato Salad was inspired by an amazing potato salad that I had from Zingerman’s Deli in Ann Arbor, Michigan many, many years ago. They no longer have it on their menu from what I can see online. So I don’t even know if they still make it, but in the absence of their potato salad at my disposal, I felt the need to re-create one that is as close to my memory as I can make it. Full of crisp bacon, sharp cheese, well-seasoned potatoes, fresh scallions and a tangy sour cream and mayo base to bring it all together.
I am sure that the chef who made that memorable potato salad at Zingerman’s would tell me that I am miles away from what they made… but hey! My version still tastes great and has satisfied my potato salad needs until we meet again in Michigan!
The Potatoes
To say that I have made a few versions of this Ultimate Bacon Potato Salad over the years would be a HUGE understatement. I have made it countless times and although edible and even enjoyable, they just weren’t good enough. One of the changes that made a dramatic difference was roasting the potatoes instead of boiling them. Roasting adds flavor and a wonderful texture. I don’t think I will ever make potato salad again with boiled potatoes!
What kind of potatoes to use? I like the somewhat waxy skinned white, yellow or gold potatoes for potato salad. In this recipe I used the Honey Gold baby potatoes. They have great texture and flavor along with a very thin skin, which I don’t feel the need to remove. Their small size makes them easy to cut into evenly sized pieces. If you can’t stand skins, I would go with a larger potato that is easier to peel. The final size to cut the pieces to would be no larger than 1/2 inch. This makes them quick to roast in the oven and easy to take a bite of.
Once the potatoes are rinsed and cut, coat them with olive oil in a large bowl. Then sprinkle on the celery salt, onion and garlic powders, salt, pepper and chipotle chili powder for a little heat. Give them a good stir with a large spatula to get them seasoned evenly. Lay the potatoes out in a single layer on a greased and foil lined baking sheet. Roast in the oven for about 15 minutes then let them cool to room temp.
The Bacon
I just love bacon. The smokey and salty flavor, the crispness of the meat and fat when it is rendered in the cooking process is utterly satisfying to me. It is a comfort food to me. And it is a perfect compliment to potatoes in my opinion. Cooking it up for this Ultimate Bacon Potato Salad is a breeze. I cut ½ inch slices through the bacon and place it in a frying pan all at once. I stir it frequently to keep pieces from sticking together and allow it to cook evenly. Once browned and crisp, remove it from the pan and let it drain on paper towels before putting in the salad.
The Cheese
For the life of me, I can’t figure out what kind of cheese was in the Zingerman’s potato salad that haunts me. I have tried many different varieties in various sized and shaped cuts. Ultimately I found that I like a sharp white cheddar best for this recipe. Cracker Barrel’s Vermont White Cheddar seems to hit the right notes for me. Sharp enough that it stands out, but doesn’t overpower. And I like it grated by hand on the large holes of a box grater. Cut chunks, cubes and finely grated cheese brings me to the Goldilocks and Three Bears reference… too much, too little. The large holes on the box grater is juuust right.
The Eggs
At first, I didn’t use hard boiled eggs. I don’t recall if the Zingerman’s version had them or not. What I did realize in the infinite number of potato salads that I made is that something was missing. Not only do the egg whites add another textural element and flavor profile, but the egg yolks add creaminess and more flavor as well. To get the most out of the yolks, I separate them from the whites and break them up with a fork. When combined with the sourcream and mayonnaise, the finely mashed yolks blend in much better.
Bringing it Together
Once the ingredients have all been prepared, which only takes about 30 minutes total, everything goes into a large bowl. Stir it up with a large spatula to get everything coated in deliciousness evenly. Let it chill in the fridge until you are ready to eat. I like to reserve some of the bacon and scallions to garnish the top. And it alerts my vegetarian friends that there is bacon in it (I learned this the hard way when I forgot to garnish it with bacon once)… whoops! If you are looking for a vegetarian friendly version, check out my Tarragon Potato Salad.
Goes Great With…
Ultimate Bacon Potato Salad goes really well with anything you might pull off the grill along with any of these gluten free recipes on this site: Sweet and Spicy Chicken, Cumin and Lime Marinated Flank Steak, Smothered BBQ Chicken, Oven Pulled Pork with Apple Slaw, Crispy Baked Buffalo Wings, Perfect Thyme Chicken, Honey Dijon Roast Chicken and Thai Roast Chicken
Ultimate Bacon Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lb potatoes (I use Honey Gold baby potatoes)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp Kosher salt
- ½ tsp celery salt
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp chipotle chili pepper
- ½ lb bacon (cut into 1/2 inch slices, cooked crisp & drained)
- 3 oz sharp cheddar cheese (shredded on large holes approx. 3/4 cup)
- ⅓ cup scallions (thinly sliced)
- 4 whole eggs (hard boiled and separated)
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a sheet pan with foil and grease with cooking oil of your choice.
- Rinse and cut the potatoes to ½ inch pieces. Place in a large bowl and coat with olive oil. Sprinkle with the seasonings- salt, celery salt, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, chipotle chili powder and stir to coat them evenly.
- Spread the seasoned potatoes onto the prepared sheet pan and bake for approximately 15 minutes, or until fork tender. Remove and let cool to room temp.
- Slice and cook the bacon until crisp. Drain on paper towels.
- Separate hard boiled eggs, roughly chopping the whites, finely mash the yolks with a fork.
- Combine all remaining ingredients (reserving a little bacon and scallions for garnish) in a large bowl. Mix well with a large spatula. Transfer to a serving bowl, let chill in the fridge until ready to serve. Garnish with remaining bacon and scallions when ready to serve.
This is delicious. I saw it on the morning news and had to make it. This is now my go to potato salad.
Thank you Jennifer!! I am so happy to hear that you tried the recipe and like it so much. And thank you for taking the time to review it!