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Bacon Ranch Potato Salad

Bacon ranch potato salad with creamy ranch dressing, sharp cheddar, and crisp bacon for a loaded party side. Cubed red potatoes are boiled until tender, cooled, then tossed and chilled until the flavors meld.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
hours chilling 2 minutes
Total Time 42 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Red potatoes
  • 3 lb red potatoes cubed
Bacon
  • 10 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
Cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded
Ranch dressing
  • 1 cup ranch dressing
Sour cream
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
Green onions
  • 0.25 cup green onions sliced
Fresh chives
  • 2 tbsp fresh chives chopped
Salt and pepper
  • 1 salt and pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Cook and cool the potatoes
  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the cubed red potatoes. Boil for 15–20 minutes, or until a fork slides in easily (no hard centers).
  2. Drain the potatoes and spread them out to cool. Let them come to room temperature, using a few minutes to speed up cooling without overcooking.
Build the loaded potato mixture
  1. In a large bowl, combine the cooled potatoes, cooked and crumbled bacon, and shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Toss until the cheese looks evenly distributed.
Mix the ranch dressing
  1. In a separate bowl, whisk together ranch dressing, sour cream, salt, and pepper. Whisk until smooth and creamy with no streaks of sour cream.
Toss, top, and chill
  1. Pour the ranch dressing over the potato mixture and toss well to coat every piece. Keep tossing until the mixture looks glossy and creamy.
  2. Top with sliced green onions and chopped fresh chives. Scatter evenly so the bright green flecks show across the surface.
  3. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours before serving. Chill until the salad is cold and holds its shape when scooped.

Notes

Pro tip: cool the potatoes before mixing so the cheddar doesn’t turn greasy and watery. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; it’s not recommended to freeze. For a lighter option, use reduced-fat ranch dressing and reduced-fat cheddar while keeping the same chilling time for the best texture.