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Come-to-Momma Potato Salad: A comforting dish perfect for new beginnings and embracing unexpected transitions.
The first time I whipped up this potato salad, I was knee-deep in moving boxes, surrounded by the chaotic charm of my new apartment. The sun was setting and I wanted something comforting to fuel my unpacking frenzy. Luckily, I had a habit of keeping red potatoes and, admittedly, more varieties of mustard than I needed for one person. Crispy bacon was a no-brainer addition, since it has a way of making any new place feel a bit more like home. I must have cooked about a hundred bacon strips in that tiny kitchen, relishing each crispy crumble.
After roasting those humble red potatoes in my less-than-fancy oven, I let the sweet onions caramelize in the bacon drippings. I was thrilled with how the garlic worked its way into the onions, creating a fragrance that somehow cut through the smell of cardboard and bubble wrap. A splash of white wine vinegar and some fresh parsley seemed like perfect finishing touches, brightening the dish in every way. My best move? I let the whole mix chill overnight. It turns out, patient flavors reward handsomely, and the salad had me feeling optimistic about my new chapter. Now, it’s the first thing I make whenever life gets a little unpredictable.
If you’re like me and enjoy a kick, don't hold back on the paprika. It’s the secret weapon here, paired with that intriguing mix of chili sauce and ketchup. Trust me, once your potatoes have had time to absorb the richness and crisp bite of bacon, they’ll be thanking you. Whatever your milestone, remember this: home is where you make your best messes.
Ingredients
For the potato salad:
- 3 pounds small red potatoes cut in 1-inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 4 slices bacon
- 1 cup sweet onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
For the sauce:
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 medium sweet onion
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup chili sauce
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup yellow mustard
- 1/8 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon paprika
- 2 tablespoons water
- salt to taste
- 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
- 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a bowl, combine the potatoes, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, 2 teaspoons of the pepper, and 1 tablespoon of the salt.
- Place the potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake until tender and slightly browned, about 40 minutes.
- In a pan, cook the bacon until crisp and reserve the drippings.
- Crumble the bacon into a bowl and add the cooked potatoes.
- Sauté 1 cup of the onion in the bacon drippings until soft, translucent, and caramelized.
- Add 2 cloves of the garlic to the onion and cook, about 30 seconds.
- Transfer the onion-garlic mixture from the heat and let it sit for 15 minutes.
- Add the onion-garlic mixture to the potato mixture and toss gently.
- Let the potato mixture stand until completely cooled, then cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Add the remaining garlic, the remaining onion, and the mayonnaise to a blender and purée to combine.
- Add the chili sauce, the ketchup, the Dijon mustard, the yellow mustard, the hot sauce, the remaining olive oil, the Worcestershire, the white wine vinegar, the lemon juice, the remaining pepper, the paprika, the water, and the remaining extra salt to the mayonnaise and purée until smooth.
- Let the sauce chill overnight to meld the flavors.
- In a bowl, combine the honey, the red wine vinegar, and the parsley and mix well to combine.
- Toss the sauce and the honey mixture with the potato mixture.
- Serve.
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