This Loaded Potato Salad is a great, easy side dish for your summer barbecues.  It tastes like biting into a potato skin with a sour cream and ranch dressing mixture and that coveted bacon, cheddar cheese and green onion topping.  

I’m super picky about my potato salad.  I can’t stand store bought potato salad that tastes like nothing but mayonnaise with the occasional chunk of onion or pepper.  I usually end up throwing half the container away, so I’m not sure why I even bother.  Potato salad is really not that hard to make.  You don’t even have to peel the potatoes for this recipe.  The hardest part is really rinsing them off and cutting them up..no big deal.

This recipe is extremely versatile.  You can add extra seasoning or even substitute regular dressing for Chipotle ranch.   I love the extra bit of spiciness it adds but find this version to be more kid friendly.  My daughter seems to find a dash of pepper to be “spicy”.  If you want this to be more like the texture of a potato skin, you could even roast the potatoes instead of boiling them.  However, turning on the oven when it is in the 90’s outside isn’t always super appealing.

You can make this recipe healthier in a few different ways.  Light sour cream or light ranch dressing can be substituted without missing the regular flavor.  Greek Yogurt can also be used in place of the sour cream.  I don’t eat beef or pork, so I substituted regular bacon for this flavorful,  natural turkey bacon from Target.

This Loaded Potato Salad will be on my 4th of July menu along with some of my other favorite side dishes.  This Pasta Salad is loaded with sun-dried tomatoes, kale and feta cheese…so good!  An Easy Fruit Pizza is always a hit and can be made patriotic by just using strawberries and blueberries.  A Watermelon Margarita Slush bucket gets made the day before and won’t cut into fun time for the holiday.  A Fuzzy Navel Peach Sangria is everything you ever wanted in a cocktail.  Lastly, Red White and Blue Jello Shots are so fun and can be made for adults or without alcohol for the kids.

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Loaded Potato Salad

Prep Time

25 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

Total Time

40 mins

 

This Loaded Potato Salad is a great, easy side dish for your summer barbecues.  It tastes like biting into a potato skin with a sour cream and ranch dressing mixture and that coveted bacon, cheddar cheese and green onion topping.  

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings: 10

Author: Holly

Ingredients

• 3 lbs. Red Potatoes; large diced
• 6 strips bacon; cut into small chunks or crumbled
• 3 tbsp. green onion; thinly sliced with white side of onion removed
• 1 tsp. dried dill
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1/2 c. sour cream
• 1/2 c. ranch dressing
• 1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. Add a pinch of salt to the pot and boil potatoes around 15 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork.

2. Prepare bacon per package instructions and cut into small chunks.

3. Drain potatoes and run cool water over them.  Allow potatoes to cool and pat dry with paper towels.

4. In a large bowl add potatoes, ranch, sour cream, salt, pepper, garlic powder and dill.  Lightly stir until combined.

5. Add bacon, cheddar cheese and green onion; reserving some for the topping if desired.

6. Lightly stir and top with leftover toppings.

7. Cover and refrigerate or serve immediately at room temperature.

Recipe Notes

You can make this recipe healthier in a few different ways.  Light sour cream or light ranch dressing can be substituted without missing the regular flavor.  Greek Yogurt can also be used in place of the sour cream. I use turkey bacon in place of regular.