Loaded Potato Salad
A homey potato salad loaded with bacon, cheese, and green onion/scallions in a sour cream and mayo dressing. It’s all the flavors you love transformed into the perfect summer side dish.
Serves8
Makes11 cups
Prep25 minutes to 30 minutes
Cook50 minutes
It’s hard not to love a loaded baked potato — a perfectly fluffy potato sliced down the center and topped with cheese, bacon, scallions, and sour cream. It can be a side or even a meal in and of itself. This recipe captures the flavors you love in a loaded baked potato and transforms them into the perfect summer side dish.
What makes this loaded potato salad extra special is that the potatoes are baked, just like its namesake, rather than boiled. Once cooled, the potato skins easily slip away. Cut them into chunks and toss in a creamy dressing made with mayo, sour cream, bacon crumbles, shredded cheese, and chopped scallions.
Ingredients Needed for Loaded Potato Salad
- Russet potatoes
- Olive oil
- Thick-cut bacon
- Sharp cheddar cheese
- Scallions
- Mayonnaise
- Sour cream
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Best Type of Potato for Loaded Potato Salad
While many potato salads are made with red or Yukon Gold potatoes, this loaded potato salad is made with russet potatoes, which have the ideal fluffy texture.
What to Serve with Loaded Potato Salad
Anything from the grill tastes great with this loaded potato salad, from hamburgers and hot dogs, all the way to BBQ ribs or a grilled steak.
Loaded Potato Salad Recipe
A homey potato salad loaded with bacon, cheese, and green onion/scallions in a sour cream and mayo dressing. It’s all the flavors you love transformed into the perfect summer side dish.
Prep time 25 minutes to 30 minutes
Cook time 50 minutes
Makes 11 cups
Serves 8
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 4 pounds
medium russet potatoes (6 to 9)
- 2 tablespoons
olive oil
- 12 ounces
thick-cut bacon
- 6 ounces
sharp cheddar cheese (1 1/2 cups pre-shredded)
- 3
medium scallions
- 1 cup
mayonnaise
- 1 cup
sour cream
- 1 teasponn
kosher salt, plus more as needed
- 1/2 teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Arrange 2 racks to divide the oven into thirds and heat the oven to 400°F.
Scrub and dry 4 pounds medium russet potatoes. Place on a rimmed baking sheet. Pierce each potato with the tip of a paring knife about 7 times across the surface of the potato. Drizzle the potatoes with 2 tablespoons olive oil and use your hands to rub the olive oil over each one.
Place on the lower rack and bake until the potatoes can easily be pierced with a skewer, 45 to 50 minutes. Meanwhile, line a second rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Arrange 12 ounces thick-cut bacon in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake on the upper rack until browned and crisp, 16 to 18 minutes.
When the bacon is ready, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Once cool enough to handle, coarsely chop or crumble with your hands.
When the potatoes are ready, transfer to a wire rack and let cool until warm to the touch, 30 to 45 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the remaining ingredients and dressing.
Grate 6 ounces sharp cheddar cheese on the large holes of a box grater (about 1 1/2 cups). Finely chop 3 medium scallions (about 1/2 cup). Place both in a large bowl. Add 1 cup mayonnaise and 1 cup sour cream in a large bowl. Add the bacon, cheese, scallions, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Stir to combine.
When the potatoes are ready, gently peel away and discard the skins. Cut the potatoes into 1-inch pieces. Add to the dressing and gently fold to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to overnight before serving. Taste and season with more kosher salt and black pepper as needed before serving.
Recipe Notes
Make ahead: This potato salad tastes great if you prepare it the day before and let the flavors meld in the refrigerator before serving. Taste before serving and add more kosher salt, mayonnaise, and sour cream as needed.
Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.