Not Just For Potlucks
At one time, I felt like making potato salad was an arduous task. Peeling potatoes, boiling water… ugh, and it will take forever! For some reason, water boils faster when you aren’t watching… which is great because you will be busy chopping, checking bacon, and whisking. Now I know better, potato salad is really very easy. So easy in fact, red skin potato salad can be a great any time side dish, not just for potlucks.
What You’ll Need to Make Red Skin Potato Salad
- Potatoes – Yeah, on this one, we’re going to need to stick with actual red skin potatoes (if you really want a red skin potato salad, no replacing those). But I always encourage practicality. If you just want a great potato salad, use what you have – yellow, Russet, red. It’ll be fine.
- Bacon – I’m providing a method to make bacon in the oven. Super easy clean up and allows you to work on other things while those salty strips of meaty goodness get crispy. Or you can buy pre-cooked bacon crumbles. I prefer fresh, but if time is of the essence, go with the pre-cooked.
- Honey and Mustard – I like that honey provides a subtle sweetness that I don’t think sugar can. This calls for plain honey… but a jalapeno infused might be amazing! Dijon is a unique flavor, it already is generally pretty salty, so I’m not recommending any added sodium.
- Green Onions – I love onions. I have confessed my love for this family of breath killing vegetables before. I’m not ashamed. They add crunch and such great flavor. Slice green onions on an angle for a pretty visual and more substantial pieces.
- No Eggs! This is the best potato salad without eggs. There is mayo, which has eggs – beware, but if you just don’t like eggs, this is the potato salad for you!
How to Make Red Skin Potato Salad
The details are below, but in short… fire up the oven. Place bacon on a foil lined baking sheet with edges. Bake for 15-20 minutes, then flip for another 5. Remove and drain on a paper towel lined plate.
While the oven is pre-heating, cut your potatoes into cubes, cover with water in a large pot and bring to a boil. No peeling! Potato salad with the skins on is part of why this is so quick to make. Once the water is at boil, cook for about 5 minutes. Remove, drain, and cool on another baking sheet. Check on your bacon!
While waiting for the potatoes, mix all the dressing ingredients. Then put it all together, mix. I always thing potato salad is better the next day when everything can fuse together, but there’s no reason you can’t dig in right away!
Besides considering what flavors go together, always be thinking about texture and balance. In this potato salad, the small potato cubes will cook faster. The cubes are also similar size to the bacon pieces and green onions sliced on an angle, ensuring every spoonful includes all the delicious elements.
Gently fold the honey mustard dressing into the potato-bacon-onion mix. Garnish the potato salad with additional chopped bacon and sliced green onions.
Tips, Tricks, & FAQs
- Short Cuts. Other simple ways to help reduce the total cook time is to start with warm or hot water from the tap. Don’t spend time waiting for the water from the faucet to heat either. Just don’t use cold. Also, use just the water you need and not a drop more. Why? Because it will take longer to bring the water to a boil.
- Leftovers. Store leftovers for 2-3 days. I think red skin potato salad is better the next day any way!
- Shopping for Bacon. When purchasing bacon, do look for a good meat to fat ratio. Not all packages of bacon are created equal and it’s something that’s easy to overlook.
- The Eyes Have It. If your potatoes have been hanging out in your pantry for a bit and start to grow eyes, gently remove those little nubs, and move ahead.
Red Skin Potato Salad
Equipment
- large pot
- paring knife
- cutting board
- Colander
- mixing bowl
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- baking sheets with sides
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb raw bacon
- 2 lbs red skin potatoes
- 4 teaspoons sea salt (1 teaspoon per 3 cups water to boil potatoes)
- 2 stalks of green onions (1/2 cup when sliced)
- 1/2 cup milk
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
Bacon
- Oven. Preheat the oven to 425 °F
- Foil. Line a baking sheet with sides with foil. Place the bacon on the baking sheet.1/2 lb raw bacon
- Bacon. Cook the bacon on the center rack for 15-20 minutes. The length of time you cook will depend on your oven, how thick the bacon is, fat content, and how crowed you place the bacon (or not). But in general, as many times as I've done this 15-20 minutes should cover most situations.Keep an eye on the bacon as the end of the cooking time approaches. Flip and cook for another 5 minutes or until they reach your desired crispness.
- Next…While the bacon is cooking…
Red Skin Potatoes
- Wash. Wash and cut the potatoes into 1/2" x 1/2" cubes. Add the cubes to a large pot.2 lbs red skin potatoes
- Boil. Cover the potatoes with 1" of water and sea salt. Over high heat, bring the water to a boil.4 teaspoons sea salt (1 teaspoon per 3 cups water to boil potatoes)
- While the water is coming to a boil, use this time to prepare the ingredients (see green onions and sauce), then come back here! Once the water comes to a boil, set the timer for 5 minutes. At the end of the time, find the largest piece of potato and carefully test it for doneness. It should easily break apart.
- Drain. Drain the potatoes and spread them out on a baking sheet to cool. The longer you can let them cool the better.
Green Onions & Bacon Crumbles
- Green Onions. Wash and thin slice the green onions. If the green stems are tender, use those as well. If not, discard them or save them for a stock. Thin slice the whites of the onions and set aside. Slice them on an angle for a more visually interesting presentation.2 stalks of green onions (1/2 cup when sliced)
- Crumble. Chop or crumble cooked bacon into dime sized pieces. Set aside.
Dressing
- Sauce. Prepare the sauce by combining the mayonnaise, milk, Dijon, honey, and ground black pepper. Whisk until well combined. Set aside. Yep – no salt, the dijon and bacon will be salty enough.1/2 cup milk, 3/4 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup Dijon mustard, 1/4 cup honey, 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Combine. In a large bowl, mix the potatoes, bacon, onions, and sauce. Gently mix until well combined. Chill for 2 to 3 hours or overnight before serving.
