The tart pungent flavor and creamy texture of blue cheese makes a wonderful partner for potatoes, sour cream, green onions and bacon. This blue cheese potato salad with bacon is pot luck picnic perfect and a great side for a juicy grilled steak.
This Summer side dish is delicious with this Buffalo Burger Recipe with Smoky BBQ Sauce, or Grilled Flank Steak with Charred Caramelized Sweet Corn, or even our Best Grilled Chicken.
This post was first published April of 2015 and updated June, 2021 adding step by step instructions.
Spring has sprung and that means dusting off the grill for a steak, burgers and grilled chicken.
And one thing that’s fun about grilling is the opportunity to take a step out of that box and try new BBQ side dishes. Being very proud of my original potato salad recipe, this is a big step, and a delicious one at that.
Who can argue with potatoes, bacon, sour cream and blue cheese, It’s a far cry from my mayonnaise, celery and mustard version, but will make it’s way into my permanent data base and on my table many times this Summer.
And if you’ve been looking, this is a recipe for potato salad with no mayo.
This Blue Cheese Potato Salad with Bacon has quickly become one of our favorite Summer side dishes. Bacon and blue cheese pair wonderfully with potatoes and onions and sour cream, the rest is history.
Let’s take a look.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Blue Cheese, Purchasing a wedge of blue cheese is preferable for quality. Blue cheese is very easy to crumble with your hands.
- Potatoes, Yukon Gold or Russet Potatoes work well for potato salads and even small red potatoes are a treat for this recipe.
- Sour Cream, This potato salad with no mayo uses sour cream instead, which really changes up the flavor profile from the classic.
- Hard Boiled Eggs, Three hard boiled eggs, either chopped or sliced.
- Milk, Milk is used to thin the consistency.
- Green Onions, Three green onions, sliced, white and some green parts.
- Bacon: Cooked and crumbled.
Ingredients Swaps and Substitutions
- Onions: If you don’t have green onions, use a mild sweet onion and better yet, a super sweet Vidalia onion. Just chop the onion into small pieces.
- Milk: Swap that milk with a couple of tablespoons of starchy potato water before you’ve drained it from the cooked potatoes. It’s liquid gold in keeping the potato salad nice and creamy.
- Sour Cream: I like to use full fat sour cream for optimum flavor. Feel free to use reduced fat sour cream in its place.
Step by Step, How To
- Step 1: Simmer the potatoes. Cut the potatoes into large bite sized pieces. Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Liberally salt and set on a burner over medium heat. Gently bring the potatoes to a simmer and cook until just getting tender. Don’t boil, or over cook or the potatoes will become mushy. Drain the potatoes in a colander in the sink. (Save a bit of that starchy water to add to the potato salad)
- Step 2: Place the hot potatoes in a large mixing bowl. Add the blue cheese, sliced onions, sour cream, milk (or starchy potato water, or both) and cooked bacon bits.
- Step 3: Using a large spatula, gently blend the ingredients together. Don’t over mix. It may cause the potatoes to break apart. Adjust seasonings and add a little more milk or starchy water if necessary.
Tips and FAQ’s
No matter what the potato I’m using to make potato salad. I always cook the potatoes with skin on. If using russet potatoes, which have a tough skin, once the potatoes have cooled enough, I remove the skin before proceeding with the recipe. If using Yukon Gold potatoes, I generally will leave the skin on after boiling. The skins are tender enough that they won’t distract from the flavor and texture of the potato salad.
I always reach for Maytag Blue Cheese. I have received no incentive to mention this name brand, it’s simply the brand I prefer. It’s an American made blue cheese produced in Iowa. A cow’s milk cheese that is creamy and mild in flavor and easy to find. Blue cheese is easy to crumble. Grab a wedge rather than pre-crumbled blue cheese in a plastic container. The product will be creamier and more flavorful.
Cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It stores beautifully and is one of those recipes that tastes better the next day.
Tips For Success
How To tell when potatoes are “just right done” insert a fork or sharp knife into a potato. If the potato feels tender and the utensil releases easily, they’re done.
Recipe For Blue Cheese Potato Salad With Bacon
I hope you give this Blue Cheese Potato Salad with Bacon recipe a try. And if you do, please come back and let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment below and give the recipe a star rating. Your feedback is valuable to me for developing future recipes.
And if you have a favorite gourmet potato salad recipe, let me know, I’d love to give it a try.
More Popular Recipes Using Blue Cheese
- Silver Spur Ranch Blue Cheese Hamburger
- Blue Cheese Potatoes Dauphinoise
- Mango and Avocado Salad with Blue Cheese
- Black and Blue Burgers
Looking for more side dish recipes? Don’t miss my side dish category. You’ll find lots of great recipes including the most popular on my site for Broccoli Cheez Whiz Casserole.
And if you’re looking for even more side dishes for picnic style gatherings, don’t miss this line-up of Summer cook-out sides. I’m positive you’ll find something you love.
Blue Cheese Potato Salad with Bacon
Ingredients
- 2 ½ pounds Potatoes Yukon gold or russet
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 Tablespoons milk or reserved starchy water that the potatoes were cooked in
- salt and pepper
- 3 green onions sliced
- 3 eggs hard cooked and chopped or sliced
- 4 ounces blue cheese
- 4 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
Instructions
- Simmer the potatoes. Cut the potatoes into large bite sized pieces. Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Liberally salt the potatoes and set on a burner over medium heat. Gently bring the potatoes to a simmer and cook until just getting tender. Don't boil, or over cook or the potatoes will become mushy. To tell when they're "just right done" insert a fork or sharp knife into a potato. If the potato feels tender and the utensil releases easily, they're done. Drain the potatoes in a colander in the sink. (Save a bit of that starchy water to add to the potato salad)
- Place the hot potatoes in a large mixing bowl. Add the blue cheese, sliced onions, sour cream, milk (or starchy potato water, or both) and cooked bacon bits.
- Using a large spatula, gently blend the ingredients together. Don't over mix. It may cause the potatoes to break apart. Adjust seasonings.
- Serve garnished with sliced or chopped hard boiled eggs. Add some chopped parsley for some color.
Notes
Nutrition
Blue Cheese Potato Salad with Bacon … It’s What’s For A Summer Side Dish
Why Trust My Recipes? I am a Culinary School Graduate and believe that everyone should try to cook as often as they can. I’ve been cooking for 50 years, and my recipes are tried and true tested and tested and then tested again before published. To read more take a look at my About Page.
I love blue cheese and bacon potato salad! What a great addition to have the hard boiled egg… I’ll have to try that next time.
Thanks Anna, we really liked it.
It looks and sounds delicious LA.
Thanks Larry
Gorgeous photo and that recipe is a find! I am pretty partial to your recipe, though. It lives in my binder titled Lea Ann’s Potato Salad and was my first and only recipe for potato salad.
I’m with you Vickie, I’m so picky about potato salads and really favor my recipe. It’s not really mine, but a hand me down. This one is a keeper too.
This looks so good. I’ve never thought of adding blue cheese to potato salad, and I add blue cheese to lots of things!
Me either RMW, and I’m glad I gave this one a try. It’s really good.
Looks like one amazing potato salad. I love all the flavors!
Thanks Ramona
I love the addition of the toasted almonds, Lea Ann! This is one special potato salad.
Thanks Stacy. We really liked this recipe.
This potato salad rocks! What a combination of flavors….I am on board and ready with a fork!
What a perfect salad for summer! This is going to be book marked to make over the summer. Delish!
I can tell you this much: You had me at Bleu Cheese. It’s almost a shame to call this a “salad,” Lea Ann. This is a main dish in my book and it looks outstanding.
Blue cheese, potatoes hard boiled eggs! This could be a new favorite!
I grew up on the classic potato salad, too, but I’m pretty sure my taste buds wouldn’t complain about this one either. Love the balance of flavors.
Blue cheese and potato… a simply fabulous combo!!! And like you I’m so ready to get back to my grill!
I love potato salad. This is a dang WINNER!!! I can’t wait to make it. Delicious. I was compelled to pin it. I didn’t want to lose track of it.
I don’t normally talk about ME, but please make note of the slight name change from Wild Goose Tea. New web design too—whoopee and I will be adding some new features.
You and I were drawn to the same type of dish…I love your taste in salads! I think swapping the bacon out for salami is a fantastic idea too. I’ll have to give that a try next time.
Blue cheese potato salad…oh, my goodness! I’m a huge fan of blue cheese. I’m loving all the salad ideas in the group today!! Great job!!
Love the idea of blue cheese potato salad! Not something I’ve ever made. But I will — sounds totally delish. Thanks!
YUMMO!!! I will have to make this for a potluck so I can have it….my family is not in love with blue cheese….I have no idea what is wrong with them!!!
I love how you presented the potato salad! it is gorgeous, making me want to eat it right away – and of course it sounds delicious too!
What a terrific potato salad! The blue cheese pushes it over the top!!! Can’t wait to try this 🙂
It sounds like the ingredients in a twice-baked potato turned into a salad. Yum and such a pretty presentation too Lea Ann.
Sam