Potato Salad with Bacon and Cheese

Forget boiled chicken breast. Potato salad with bacon and cheese is the bomb. I should mention too that carrot cooked in bacon fat is among the ingredients.

And just who concocted this delightful version of potato salad? Well, there is a macaroni with bacon salad in the archive and I thought why not potato salad with bacon?

And the carrot cooked in bacon fat. Oh, that’s Alex’s idea. When she asked how the carrot should be prepped, I said peel and cook. She didn’t ask for more details and she proceeded to cook the carrot cubes in the same pan where the bacon was fried and plenty of delicious fat had been rendered.

So, now we have a new formula for making potato salad. The bacon may be substituted with other smoked meat in the future but the carrot cooked in bacon fat will forever be a mainstay.

A few tips before the recipe.

Don’t overcook the potatoes. To test for doneness, pierce the center with a skewer. There should be the slightest resistance at the center.

Second, choose unsweetened bacon. Honey bacon and maple-flavored bacon will make the salad too sweet.

Third, we use crushed pineapple in our macaroni and potato salad only because no one in the family enjoys large pieces of pineapple in a salad. You may always opt for pineapple tidbits or chunks.

Potato Salad with Bacon and Cheese

Course: Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: International

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Cooling time for the potatoes: 2 hours

Servings: 6 people

Author: Connie Veneracion

Ingredients

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• ▢ 1 kilogram potatoes - unpeeled
• ▢ 250 grams bacon
• ▢ 1 small carrot
• ▢ 200 grams cheese - (see notes after the recipe)
• ▢ 1/3 cup pickle relish
• ▢ 1/3 cup crushed pineapple
• ▢ mayonnaise
• ▢ salt
• ▢ pepper
• ▢ sugar - (optional)

Video

Instructions

• Boil the potatoes in salted water. Pierce and, if there is the slightest resistance at the center, they are done. Cool completely.
• Chop the bacon and cook in its own fat until crispy. Drain and set aside.
• Peel the carrot, cut into small cubes and cook in the rendered bacon fat. Drain and set aside.
• Cut the cheese into small cubes. About half-inch cubes.
• Peel the potatoes and cut into cubes as well. Anywhere from half-inch to three-quarters inch is good.
• In a bowl, toss the potato, carrot, cheese, bacon, pickle relish and crushed pineapple with a bit of salt and pepper. Sugar is optional.
• Add a quarter cup of mayonnaise and toss. Taste. Add more salt and pepper, if needed.
• If the potato salad appears too dry, add another quarter cup of mayonnaise and toss again. Adjust the seasonings as well. Repeat until you are happy with the texture and balance of flavors.
• Chill the potato salad for several hours. If it dries out, add more mayonnaise and toss again.

Cook’s Notes

There is no rule as to what cheese you should use. Almost any cheese will work except the really bland ones. Mozzarella, for instance, is too bland for this salad. Your choice of cheese will, of course, affect the overall taste of the potato salad.

How much mayonnaise should you use? That depends on you. We used a total of 3/4 cup.

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