This loaded ranch potato salad is made with tender potatoes tossed in a creamy sour cream and mayo dressing seasoned with ranch mix loaded with cheddar cheese, bacon, and chives! It’s a must-make side dish for potlucks and holiday dinners.
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Best Potato Salad with Bacon, Ranch and Cheese
Potato salads are a perfect side dish at any potluck or summer cookout, but that doesn’t mean we ALWAYS have to go with the old fashioned Southern potato salad with hard-boiled eggs and relish, right?
Sometimes it’s nice to switch things up. I’ve made this no mayo potato salad with plenty of fresh herbs for something lighter, or load it up with more yummy ingredients like this loaded ranch potato salad version. That’s the great thing about potato salad, there are so many possible ingredient combinations, and no matter what, they’re always a hit!
This recipe is definitely one of my favorite potato salads. If you love loaded potato casserole, loaded baked potato soup, and anything involving bacon, cheese, and sour cream, you’re going to love it too!
Ingredients You Will Need
Below is a list of the ingredients you’ll need to gather to make this recipe. Scroll down to the full recipe card with amounts
- Potatoes: I like to use Yukon gold potatoes and cut then into small cubes. I peel my potatoes, but you don’t have to.
- Mayonnaise and sour cream: This combination provides a rich and creamy salad dressing base. I use full fat sour cream but you can use light as well.
- Ranch seasoning mix: You’ll need a packet of the dressing mix, not the dip mix, for the zesty ranch flavor. I used the spicy ranch mix in this version but you can use regular too.
- Cheddar cheese: I always recommend shredding cheese fresh from a block for the best flavor.
- Bacon crumbles: Cook slices and then chop it into crumbles.
- Chives: Fresh chives are the perfect finish to anything with bacon and sour cream!
- Salt and pepper to taste
Variations/ Substitutions
1. Use turkey bacon if pork bacon isn’t your thing.
2. Freshly grated cheddar is nice but not a must. Use bagged, pre-shredded cheese if preferred.
3. I have great tips on how to bake bacon to prevent splatter and mess.
4. However, if you want to use store-bought microwaveable bacon, or jarred real bacon bits you can.
5. I prefer the flavor of Hellman’s Mayo but feel free to use your favorite mayonnaise. Miracle Whip is another option.
6. Replace the sour cream with plain Greek yogurt for a lighter option.
7. Swap the chives for sliced green onions or red onion. You can even add a little dill.
8. You can use any favorite ranch dressing or a homemade ranch dressing instead of the mayo, sour cream and dry mix but I think it is much more creamy when you make it yourself instead.
What are the best type of potato to use for potato salad?
Although I love the creaminess of Yukon gold potatoes best, russet potatoes, baby potatoes, or small red potatoes can all be used.
How to Make this Potato Salad Recipe
This recipe will come together in a few easy steps with just a few simple ingredients. It’s always a crowd-pleaser so be sure to make lots!
Step 1: Boil a large pot of water over medium-high heat and cook the potato cubes for 15-20 minutes. The potatoes are done with you can stick a fork or sharp knife easily into them.
Step 2: Drain them in a colander and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Once completely drained, transfer them to a large bowl and let them chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes so they hold their shape when stirring in the other ingredients.
Step 3: In a separate bowl, add the mayonnaise, sour cream, and ranch dressing mix and whisk together completely.
Step 4: Pour the dressing over the cooled potatoes and gently stir to coat all the potatoes.
Step 5: Stir in the cheese, crumbled bacon, and chives. Now, it’s done! Cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve it.
Tips
- For extra flavor, add more salt to the water when you boil the potatoes.
- Don’t skip the chill time for the potatoes. If you add the creamy dressing to hot potatoes, they will become more mushy.
- Much like a classic potato salad, you don’t want to keep ranch potato salad out too long either. Once everyone has been served, place it back in the fridge.
- If you want to keep it out a little longer, fill a large bowl with ice and sit the potato salad bowl in the ice bowl to keep it cool for a couple of hours.
- A quick and easy way to boil potatoes is to use a pressure cooker. Add diced potatoes to the inner pot, cover with water, and pressure cook for 8 minutes.
How to Store Leftovers?
Refrigerate: Store leftovers potato salad recipe for up to 4 days covered in an airtight container in the fridge.
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Bacon Ranch Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 2 pounds potatoes cut into cubes
- 1 cup mayonnaise I love Hellmans
- 1 cup sour cream Light or full fat or even plain Greek yogurt
- 1 ounce packet ranch dressing mix not the dip mix (spicy or regular flavor)
- 1 ½ cups cheddar cheese shredded
- 6 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
- 3 tablespoons chives chopped
Instructions
- Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with water.2 pounds potatoes
- Bring to a boil and cook over medium high heat for 15-20 minutes until a fork can be easily inserted.
- Pour the potatoes into a colander in the sink and drain completely. Place the drained potatoes in a large bowl and place in the refrigerator to cool for at least 30 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, add the mayonnaise, sour cream and the ranch dressing mix and stir together well.1 cup mayonnaise, 1 cup sour cream, 1 ounce packet ranch dressing mix
- Pour the mixture over the cooled potatoes and stir gently to completely coat the potatoes.
- Add the cheese, bacon crumbles and chives and stir them in.1 ½ cups cheddar cheese, 6 slices bacon, 3 tablespoons chives
- Place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclosure
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should only be used as an approximation.
Debbie Earles
I love to try your many recipes. Tonight I got the recipes for Potato Salad and Grape Salad. I’ve been married for 47 years and when my husband saw me getting the Grape Salad. His face looked so happy .