Blue Cheese and Bacon Potato Salad

Last Updated July 10th, 2021 at 10:35 am by Lisa

If you want the best potato salad BBQ side dish, this one is loaded with crispy bacon and blue cheese for summer cookouts, potlucks, and a great picnic food idea because it has no eggs or mayo.

Years ago while running late to an outdoor concert picnic,  I grabbed a small container of a similar potato salad from a local gourmet market.

It was so incredible, I couldn't stop eating it that night, or thinking about it..oh, and yes I ate most of the container. I came home and made it many times, over many years, until it became THE Very Best Potato Salad Recipe. Over the years, it became one of my go-to July 4th recipes.

I always make a double batch, and it disappears quickly, maybe it's that crispy bacon on top...

Why Is This Amazing?

• The crumbled blue cheese makes this potato salad SO creamy and so full of flavor.
• A great bacon potato salad to make ahead, it is even better the next day. Reserve some crispy bacon to garnish the top.
• Blue cheese and bacon are an excellent flavor combo.
• The crisp crunchy celery is so clean and fresh against the creamy texture.
• Since there is NO EGG or MAYO, this is a safer potato salad for hot summer days at picnics. Eggs and Mayo should not be at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
• This potato salad recipe is so different and a meal in and of itself!
• You could swap out the bacon and or blue cheese and substitute ranch dressing for the blue cheese dressing and use a grated cheese like cheddar or one you like.
• An easy potato salad dressing that is balanced with the right amount of rich creamy ingredients.

Let's Make It!

1. Cook bacon until crispy. Set aside. See notes for bacon cooking tips.
2. Bring a large pot of water to boil, make sure there is enough room for your peeled cubed potatoes. Boil potatoes about 20-25 minutes, until a piece is fork tender when pierced. Drain water from potatoes.
3. Next, Add all the dressing ingredients in a bowl; apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, sea salt, pepper, olive oil, blue cheese salad dressing, and sour cream, whisking after adding each one.
4. In the large bowl, re-whisk the dressing and in the bottom of the large bowl, then place the drained potatoes into the bowl.
5. Stir to combine. Next add crispy bacon pieces, crumbled blue cheese, chopped parsley, sliced green onions, chopped celery, and thyme leaves.
6. The warm potatoes will help melt the blue cheese and absorb the dressing. Toss well and store in a sealed container in fridge, gets even better by the next day so it's perfect to make ahead.

TIP:
You can garnish with some additional crispy crumbled bacon and a little parsley, and green onions to make it really pretty...

More Potato Salad Recipes

• Perfect Potato Salad by Pioneer Woman
• Traditional Creamy Potato Salad by Foodology Geek
• 10 Perfect Potato Salad Recipes for July 4th by Serious Eats
• Old Fashioned Potato Salad by All Recipes

More BBQ Side Dishes

Print Pin Recipe

Blue Cheese and Bacon Potato Salad

The best potato salad BBQ side dish loaded with crispy bacon and blue cheese for summer cookouts, potlucks, and a great picnic food idea!

Prep Time 1 hour

Cook Time 25 minutes

Servings 16

Calories 246kcal

Author Lisa Hatfield

Equipment

Epicurean Non-Slip Cutting Board

Chef Knife

Ingredients

Potato Salad

• 5 pounds Yukon potatoes (peeled and cubed)
• 8 strips bacon (crumbled)
• ¼ cup crumbled blue cheese
• 1 cup chopped parsley
• 2 cups sliced green onions
• 2 cups sliced celery
• 2 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

Dressing

• 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
• ½ cup olive oil
• ½ cup blue cheese salad dressing
• ¼ cup sour cream

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Cook bacon until crispy. Set aside. See notes for bacon cooking tips.
• Bring a large pot of water to boil, make sure there is enough room for your peeled cubed potatoes. Boil potatoes about 20-25 minutes, until a piece is fork tender when pierced. Drain water from potatoes.
• Next, Add all the dressing ingredients in a bowl; apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, sea salt, pepper, olive oil, blue cheese salad dressing, and sour cream, whisking after adding each one.
• In the large bowl, re-whisk the dressing and in the bottom of the large bowl, then place the drained potatoes into the bowl.
• Stir to combine. Next add crispy bacon pieces, crumbled blue cheese, chopped parsley, sliced green onions, chopped celery, and thyme leaves.
• The warm potatoes will help melt the blue cheese and absorb the dressing. Toss well and store in a sealed container in fridge, gets even better by the next day so it's perfect to make ahead.

Notes

How To Get Crispy Bacon 

• Try a pre-cooked bacon brand Since it is half cooked, it prepares easily without the mess and crisps up beautifully in the microwave on paper plates. (I use Costco Kirkland brand, but they are easy to find in the grocery store.)
• Or bake bacon on a rack over a cookie sheet in the oven
• Or saute bacon in a heavy skillet until crisp, this is messier but gets the job done.

Garnish

You can garnish with some additional crumbled bacon, sliced green onions, and a little parsley to make it really pretty and serve in a nice bowl. 

Swaps

You could swap out the bacon and or blue cheese and substitute ranch dressing for the blue cheese dressing and use a grated cheese like cheddar or one you like.

Nutrition

Calories: 246kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 496mg | Potassium: 729mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 586IU | Vitamin C: 38mg | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 2mg

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