Roasted Potato Salad

I know, I know, you are probably thinking ehhh, I have seen so many potato salad recipes over the last month, why bother reading another one. I certainly have been seeing my fair share of this category of recipe in the food-blog-a-sphere since the warm summer weather hit, but let me tell you, this recipe is worth checking out.  Roasting the potatoes instead of boiling them absolutely makes this salad a stand out.  Something magical happens to vegetables when you roast them in the oven and it really boosts the complexity of the flavors in this salad.  Plus, this salad has everything that a good potato salad should have, a little onion for flavor, a little celery for crunch, a little hard boiled egg for texture, and a little, or a lotta, bacon for mmm, goodness.  Yes of course you can leave the bacon out if you are going the vegetarian route.  The creamy, rich dressing brings everything all together, just the way potato salad should be.  This would be the perfect recipe to try for your next barbecue or maybe this weekend for your Fourth of July celebrations.  In other news, I had the opportunity to do a little creative photography a few weekends ago and got to take some fun flower shots at my favorite spot.  I added a few of my favs down below the recipe if you are interested in checking them out :)

Roasted Potato Salad

Potatoes

5-6 medium red potatoes
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp dried thyme
salt & pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 425°F.  Wash and dry the potatoes and then chop into bite size pieces.  Toss the potatoes in the olive oil and spices and place in a single layer on a large, greased baking tray.  Roast the potatoes for about 25 minutes or until tender, flipping once during the cooking time.  Let the potatoes cool to room temperature.

Dressing

3/4 mayonnaise
2 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tsp white wine or apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp chopped fresh herbs such as dill, parsley, chives
salt & pepper, to taste

Combine all of the ingredients in a glass measuring cup or a bowl and whisk well until combined. You can use whatever herbs you like; I used a combo of parsley and chives.  If you don't have fresh herbs, you can substitute dry, but reduce the quantity as they are much stronger.  Set the dressing aside until you are ready to assemble.

Salad

1 shallot, diced finely
3 stalks celery, diced
2 green onions, white and green parts, sliced
2 hard boiled eggs, roughly chopped
6+ slices of cooked bacon, chopped
1/4 cup pickles (variety of your choosing), roughly chopped

The bacon can be cooked in a frying pan or in the oven.  I cooked mine in the oven on a wire rack placed over a baking tray lined with aluminum foil while the potatoes were roasting, for about 15 minutes. Place the bacon onto a paper towel lined plate immediately after removing from the oven.  Most grocery stores sell pre-made hard boiled eggs now or you can boil your own at home.  I bought them pre-made because boiling eggs stinks, in my personal opinion.  Make sure these ingredients are at least cooled down to room temperature before adding to the salad. Reserve some bacon for garnish.  Add all of the fixings to a large bowl, including the roasted potatoes.  Toss everything together and then add the dressing.  Give everything a big mix, until the entire salad is well coated in the dressing.  Refrigerate for at least an hour or up to one day before serving.  Garnish with reserved bacon and additional herbs or scallions, if desired.

Enjoy!

Inspired by The Candid Appetite