This bacon and cheddar loaded potato salad is creamy and delicious, an easy family-friendly and gluten-free side dish to make for dinner.
Creamy Loaded Potato Salad
When is comes to easy, wholesome recipes, this potato salad is it. A hit for any occasion and any weeknight dinner. Got a potluck or attending Friendsgiving? Game night or gatherings? You’ll want to serve this up for friends and family because the longer it sits, the creamier it gets. It’s so easy to store in the fridge and serve.
It’s like a traditional loaded potato — with potatoes, bacon and cheddar goodness and a creamy sour cream and mayo dressing. A few simple ingredients make this recipe simple and easy to make.
More potato recipes you’ll love:
- Oven-Baked Crispy Parmesan Potato Wedges (Gluten-Free)
- Oven-Baked Sweet Potato Fries (GF, Vegan, Paleo, Whole 30)
- Sweet Potato and Kielbasa Skillet (Gluten-Free, Paleo, Whole 30)
- Slow Cooker Sweet Potato and Chicken Stew (GF, Keto, Paleo, Whole 30)
This light and fluffy potato salad is made with all of the best ingredients tossed together for tons of flavour. A steakhouse classic.
Why You’ll Love This Potato Salad
- You don’t need to turn on the oven. This recipe calls for boiled potatoes, but you can roast them however you want!
- Only a few simple ingredients. Everything you need for those classic flavours you can’t get wrong.
- A family favourite for any dinner or occasion. Double the recipe for bigger serving sizes!
- Takes only 30 minutes to make. Simply boil the potatoes and cook the bacon while chopping and shredding!
GF Potato Salad Ingredients
Simple ingredients for the perfect cheesy bacon potato salad:
- Yukon gold, yellow, or russet potatoes
- Bacon
- Cheddar cheese
- Sour cream
- Mayonaise
- Ranch
- Red onion or green onion
- Apple cider vinegar
- Salt and pepper
How to Make Ahead Potatoes for Potato Salad
The traditional method for boiling potatoes is going to be the best option due to the fact that it takes less time.
All you have to do is cut up the potatoes and boil with salt until done, and then transfer to cold water to cool without mashing them together.
- Cook the bacon low and slow
- Chop potatoes into 1.5 inch thick chunks (with the skin on!) and boil in salted water
- Chop the onions and the cooked bacon when done
- Shred the cheddar if not already shredded
- Drain the hot water from the pot of potatoes and run cold water for a few minutes, until cool
- Gently toss the potatoes with the rest of the ingredients until well combined. Cover and let sit in the fridge until ready to serve!
Best Tips for Making Potato Salad:
The longer it chills, the better! I like to let it sit for at least 3 hours in the fridge before serving so that all of the flavours and creamy goodness comes together.
Make sure the potatoes have properly cooled before mixing the salad together. Otherwise, they may get extra mushy and naturally mash if still warm during the mixing. At least 3-5 minutes under cold running water does the trick.
Leave the skin on the potatoes. The skin is where all of the nutrients are — dietary fibre, potassium, iron, magnesium, vitamin C, B6 and antioxidants. If you know what I mean.
Cook the bacon low and slow. This allows for perfectly crispy and tender bacon with tons of flavour and saltiness. Easier to chop up and won’t crumble as much.
Onion for flavour. Don’t skip on the onion to get that true loaded potato taste. You can sub in chives or green onions if preferred!
No sour cream, no problem. If you don’t have sour cream on hand, just use some plain greek yogurt to get the same creamy texture out of the salad.
Potato Salad Extra Ingredients
Feel like adding more to your potato salad? Here are some great additions to add:
- Green onions/chives
- Hard boiled eggs
- Hot sauce
- Celery
- Red pepper flakes
- Ranch dressing
- Broccoli florets
What to Serve With Potato Salad for Dinner
Here are some great high protein main dishes you’ll want to make with potato salad:
- Asparagus and Salmon Dinner (Keto, Low Carb, GF, Paleo)
- Turkey Meatballs and Spicy Aioli (Gluten-Free, Low Carb, Keto)
- One Pan Cranberry Rosemary Chicken (Keto, Paleo, Whole 30)
- Oven Baked Dry Rub Chicken Wings (Gluten-Free, Keto, Paleo & Whole 30)
- Keto Shake ‘N Bake Chicken (GF, Low Carb, Paleo, Whole 30)
Bacon and Cheddar Loaded Potato Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 3-4 pounds yukon gold potatoes (or any yellow or russet potatoes)
- 1 red onion finely chopped
- 12 oz bacon cooked and chopped
- 1½ cups cheddar cheese shredded
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¾ cup sour cream
- 2 tbsp ranch
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp salt
- ¾ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Start by cooking the bacon in a pan on low heat, flipping as needed.
- Scrub and wash potatoes and then chop into 1.5 inch thick chunks and leaving the skin on. Fill a large pot 3/4 full of water and bring to a boil, add potatoes with a dash of salt and simmer on low for 20 minutes.
- Chop the red/green onions, the cooked bacon when done, and shred the cheddar.
- Drain the hot water from the pot of potatoes and run cold water on them for a few minutes, until cool.
- Gently toss the potatoes with the rest of the ingredients until well combined. Cover and let sit in the fridge until ready to serve!
