Baked Potato Salad

I’ve mentioned my aversion to mayonnaise before. I have no good explanation for it. I think it’s something about the slimy texture. Maybe it’s the smell. It’s hard to say. I don’t avoid it completely, but I use it judiciously and when I do use it, it absolutely has to be Hellman’s. You’re welcome for the free endorsement, Hellman’s. Traditional summer salads pose an issue for me, since so many are laden with mayonnaise. Add that to my paranoia about food safety and refrigeration and my heart starts to race. I panic a bit during summer parties when presented with salad upon gloppy, mayonnaisey salad. Did they use Hellman’s?? How long has it been sitting out?? Is there anything else to eat?? My brother-in-law is as disturbed by mustard as I am by mayonnaise. Strange. I mean, what’s so gross about mustard?? But then again, I’m the one who just wrote a paragraph on my feelings about mayonnaise. So, I suppose that I am clearly the weirdo amongst us.

My distaste for mayonnaise is what brings us to today’s recipe; a non-mayonnaise alternative to potato salad which will delight your taste buds. It’s a potato salad inspired by a loaded baked potato. Think fork-tender chunks of red potato, blended together with sour cream, cheddar cheese, bits of bacon, and chopped green onions. Not a glop of mayonnaise in sight!

Baked Potato Salad

Ingredients

• 3 pounds Red Potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 cup Sour Cream
• 1 cup Bacon, crumbled
• 1 cup Green Onions, chopped
• 1 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded
• 1 Tbsp Mustard
• Salt and Pepper

Directions

Place chopped potatoes in a pot. Fill the pot with water until it just covers the potatoes. Add a bit of salt to the water. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 8-10 minutes, until potatoes are fork-tender. Drain in a colander. Rinse with cold water in order to stop the cooking and slightly cool the potatoes. In a large bowl, combine the potatoes with the sour cream, mustard, cheese, bacon and onions. Season with salt and lots of coarse-ground black pepper. Refrigerate until completely cooled. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.