This blue cheese potato salad recipe is loaded with the tangy creaminess you expect from a potato salad but with an incredible blue cheese and bacon twist. I used Greek yogurt instead of mayo so the blue cheese could shine. And loaded it with chives and parsley for the most delicious cookout side dish around.
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I love a classic potato salad, along with a cherry tomato salad and grilled corn ribs, it is my go-to summer side dish. So if I am going to change it up, I need the recipe to be flavorful and special.
Some people might call this a "red, white and blue" potato salad because of the red potatoes, white dressing and blue cheese. But I call it delicious.
It is perfect when served alongside your favorite burgers, smoked ribs, or BBQ chicken.
📖Why This Recipe Works
- It has all the texture elements of the all-American potato salad but with a tangy twist. The creamy blue cheese dressing and green onion flavor complement each other.
- Many specialty potato salad recipes roast their potatoes, but creamy dressings don't play nice with greasy roasted potatoes. Instead, you are boiling the baby red potatoes.
- Crispy bacon tops things off because everything is better with bacon!
🧾Ingredient Notes
- Red Potatoes- This recipe uses small, skin-on red potatoes. Any small round waxy potato will work but you want to avoid the larger russet-style potatoes. The starch level is too high for this recipe.
- Bacon- You want super crispy bacon. Avoid any varieties that are sweet, maple-flavored, etc. Remember cooking bacon for a recipe is not the same as cooking to eat on its own. You want it a tad crispier.
- Celery- Make sure it is fresh and crispy to give the potato salad a nice crunch.
- Scallions- We use scallions rather than raw white onion or red onion so the potato salad has a nice onion flavor but we don't overwhelm the blue cheese, which is obviously the star of the show. The white and light green parts go in the salad and I reserve the dark green parts for garnishing the salad.
- Fresh Herbs-Chives and parsley are responsible for giving the salad its aromatics. You can play around with the combination of herbs and the portion. If chives aren't available using all parsley is fine but you might want to through in a few extra green onions. Or add a little fresh dill.
- Greek Yogurt- Thick, creamy, and tangy. Don't use fat-free yogurt as it tends to have a bland flavor. You can also substitute sour cream.
- Apple Cider Vinegar- Vinegar gives a little hint of acid that all potato salads need. You can also substitute white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar.
- Blue Cheese- It may be tempting to use that beautiful block of creamy blue cheese sitting in your fridge but the drier blue cheese crumbles are easier to work with, not to mention less expensive. I like the gorgonzola crumbles but any type of blue cheese will work.
⏲️How to Make Blue Cheese Potato Salad
- The bacon should be nice and crispy. I prefer to chop my bacon before cooking it rather than crumble it afterward. Drain on a paper towel to remove excess grease.
- Cover with cold water. Bring them to a boil and cook for 8-10 minutes or until tender.
- While the potatoes are cooling, make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk the yogurt, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Then stir in the blue cheese crumbles.
- Gently toss to combine. Chill for about one hour before serving.
💭Blue Cheese Potato Salad Variations
Vegetarian: This should be obvious but... leave out the bacon.
Caramelized Onion: Thinly slice the onion and cook in butter and olive oil until browned, about 3-5 minutes. Reduce heat and caramelize, stirring often, for 30-40 minutes. Let cool, chop, and mix into the blue cheese dressing.
Dijon: Omit the apple cider vinegar in the blue cheese dressing and instead add 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard.
Entree Sized: Use up leftover potato salad, layer 2 cups of spinach on a plate, add a scoop of blue cheese potato salad, top with halved cherry tomatoes, and finish with grilled flank steak or a seared bavette steak.
🌡️Storage and Making Ahead
Blue cheese potato salad should be stored in an airtight container and kept in the refrigerator. It will keep for 3 days.
The potatoes will absorb whatever liquid you put on them. To make the potato salad ahead of time add 2 tablespoons of milk to half of the dressing to thin it out. Pour that half the dressing on the potatoes and save back the bacon. When ready to serve, add the remainder of the dressing and the bacon.
More Potato Salad Recipes
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tips
- Start the potatoes in cold water. This will ensure that the potatoes cook evenly. You don't want the outside to crumble before the center is done.
- Don't forget to salt your water. It really makes a difference. I typically do about 1 teaspoon of salt for 2 pounds of potatoes.
- The potatoes will continue to cook while they are cooling. They are "done" when they are barely fork-tender.
- You can throw the potatoes in the fridge for a bit to speed up the cooling process.
- To save time on this recipe, I cook the bacon and the potatoes at the same time. While they are cooking, I prep the remaining ingredients.
- Season to taste right before serving so the flavors have time to meld.
- I like to reserve back a tablespoon or two of cheese for garnishing the top.
Did you enjoy making this recipe? Show it some love with ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a comment! Hungry for more? Get more flavorful recipes!
📖 Recipe Card
Blue Cheese Potato Salad with Bacon
Ingredients
Red Skinned Potato Salad
- 2 lb red potatoes skin on and cut into bite size pieces
- 6 slices bacon crisped
- ¼ cup celery diced
- 4 scallions thinly slices (white and light green parts)
- 2 tablespoon chives
- 1 tablespoon parsley
Blue Cheese Dressing
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- 2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 ounces blue cheese crumbles
Instructions
- Place potatoes in a large saucepan. Cover potatoes with salted water, and bring to a boil. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until tender. Drain the potatoes and allow the potatoes to cool to room temperature.2 lb red potatoes
- Place the potatoes in a large bowl. Add bacon, scallions, celery, and herbs. Gently toss to combine.6 slices bacon, ¼ cup celery, 4 scallions, 2 tablespoon chives, 1 tablespoon parsley
- In a small bowl, whisk the yogurt, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Gently stir in the blue cheese crumbles.½ cup Greek yogurt, 2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, 4 ounces blue cheese crumbles
- Pour the dressing over the salad and gently stir to combine. Chill thirty to 60 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
- The potatoes will absorb whatever liquid you put on them. To make the potato salad ahead of time, add 2 tablespoons of milk to half of the dressing to thin it out. Pour that half the dressing on the potatoes and save back the bacon. When ready to serve, add the remainder of the dressing and the bacon.
Equipment
Nutrition
Common Recipe Questions
Is Blue Cheese gluten-free?
Blue cheese is naturally gluten-free. However, you need to double-check the package to make sure it is gluten-free. There is a terrible rumor going around the internet that blue cheese is not gluten-free. That is untrue! But some brands do use bread so always best to verify.
How do I thin the dressing?
If the dressing is too thick you can thin it down by adding 1 to 2 tablespoons of either milk or the cooking liquid from the potatoes.
Natalie says
Lovely addition of blue cheese. I love it!
Jen says
Glad it turned out
Jo says
This is simply the best salad to make. Love the addition of blue cheese on the recipe. Flavors are perfect!
Jenny Graves says
Our new favorite potato salad! My husband LOVES blue cheese Thank you!
Gloria says
You can never have too many potato salad recipes this time of year. Love the addition of blue cheese. It was a hit.
Jen says
I think my husband would agree with that! And I love the blue cheese- perfect match.
Paige says
This is a tasty riff on potato salad! I love the blue cheese addition, and this would be a great side for any BBQ!
Carol Borchardt says
I've been wanting to do some new variations on potato salads this summer and this was great!
Loreto and Nicoletta Nardelli says
Thanks for all the tips! This bacon blue cheese potato salad is awesome