Not Your Grandma’s Potato Salad

Not Your Grandma’s Potato Salad is a zesty twist with red potatoes, dill pickles, shredded cheddar cheese, and a creamy blend of mayonnaise, sour cream, and Dijon mustard, topped with savory bacon, hard-boiled eggs, chives, and crispy fried onions. It’s anything but old-fashioned!

My husband loves this version of potato salad. He said it’s an 11/10 because with every bite he takes, he gets a new taste. There are so many different toppings that give you different textures and layers of flavor.

I have to admit, I love that it’s not a traditional potato salad. I’ve never been a fan of Miracle Whip, and that seems to be the preferred version of mayo used in recipes.

I was more than happy to add the kind of mayonnaise I like (Hellman’s or Duke’s) in this recipe, but if you prefer Miracle Whip, by all means, use it.

What Makes This Not Your Grandma’s Potato Salad

Traditional American potato salad is made by boiling potatoes, adding pickle relish or pickle juice, and dressing made from mayonnaise and yellow mustard. Many of them include hard-boiled eggs, celery, and onion as well.

This recipe includes some of those things as well, but roasts the potatoes instead of boiling. I’ve also swapped out yellow mustard for Dijon mustard and added cheddar cheese, bacon bits, and fried onions. This gives it extra rich flavor and extra crunch.

Ingredients

• Red Potatoes
• Dill Pickle Juice
• Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• Mayonnaise
• Sour Cream
• Dijon Mustard
• Salt
• Dill Pickles
• Hard-Boiled Eggs
• Bacon
• Chives
• Fried Onions

How to Make Not Your Grandma’s Potato Salad

• Preheat oven to 425℉. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with nonstick cooking oil.

• Add potatoes to the pan in a single layer. Bake diced potatoes for 35-40 minutes until they are fork-tender.
• Meanwhile, add two large eggs to a pot of cold water filled an inch above the eggs. Heat to a boil. Once boiling, remove from the heat and cover with a lid. Let it sit covered for 10 minutes. Plunge into an ice bath and peel shells. Coarsely dice eggs. Set aside.

• Cook bacon slices over medium-high heat in a large skillet for 8-10 minutes until they are rendered and beginning to crisp. Set bacon on a paper-towel-lined plate and cool. Once cooled, crumble or cut into small pieces.
• Dice the pickles and cut the chives.

• Make the dressing by mixing mayonnaise, sour cream, Dijon mustard, pickle juice, shredded cheddar cheese, half (two tablespoons) of the diced pickles, half of the bacon bits, and salt in a large bowl. Add potatoes and stir.

• Add diced eggs, fried onions, remaining bacon bits, diced pickles, and chives on top.
• Serve warm or place in the refrigerator for an hour to serve cold.

Potato Salad Tips & Tricks

Use Waxy Potatoes for Best Texture Red potatoes or Yukon Golds hold their shape well after boiling and have a creamy texture-perfect for potato salad. Russet potatoes tend to crumble more and not hold their shape after being cooked.

Don't Overcook The Potatoes Cook just until fork-tender. Overcooked potatoes can get mushy and fall apart when mixing.

Let Potatoes Cool Before Mixing Mixing while too hot can make the dressing separate and cause a mushy texture. Let them cool to warm or room temperature.

Chop Everything Evenly Uniformly chopped eggs, pickles, and chives mean every bite is well-balanced.

Add Crunch Just Before Serving Top with crispy bacon or fried onions right before serving to keep them from getting soggy.

Make It Ahead Potato salad tastes even better after chilling for a few hours or overnight; however, this potato salad is really good warm!

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