Loaded Baked Potato Salad

I am a huge fan of baked potatoes but now that spring has finally arrived (or so it seems) they just aren’t something I cook. I hate heating up the oven and the house once the warm weather hits and I avoid it at all cost. So what do I do when the craving strikes? Make up this loaded baked potato salad! It provides all the delicious taste of a loaded baked potato without having to heat up the oven. Plus, it’s chilled and refreshing which helps beat the heat.

There really isn’t anything not to like about this potato salad. Cheese, bacon and ranch are always a winning combination! This would be a great side dish to bring to a summer bbq or just to whip up on a weeknight with a yummy grilled steak.

Loaded Baked Potato Salad
recipe slightly adapted from Key Ingredient

4 large russet or Yukon gold potatoes
1/4 cup light mayo
1/2 cup light sour cream
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 Tbsp. dry ranch seasoning
8 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 tsp. black pepper
salt to taste

1. In a small bowl, mix together the mayo and sour cream. After thoroughly combined, stir in cheese, ranch seasoning, salt and pepper.

2. Chop potatoes into bite size chunks (you can peel them if you want, I was lazy and didn’t). Boil potatoes for 10-20 minutes, until tender but not falling apart. Drain potatoes and allow to cool a bit.

3. Mix potatoes and 3/4 of the bacon into sour cream mixture. Top with remaining bacon and chill until ready to serve.

BBQ Chicken Salad

I have been trying to create light but satisfying lunches to eat during the week that are still quick and easy to prepare with a little man running around. And this was a total winner. The great thing about this meal is that it can all be prepared ahead of time then thrown together right before you are ready to eat. That’s my kind of weekday lunch!

You could either eat the chicken cold (if made the night before) or warm on this salad. I prefer it warm because for some reason it just seems more satisfying to me. But when summer comes around I’m sure I will like it cold for a nice, light and refreshing meal.

This actually isn’t too much of a recipe. It’s more of an idea featuring flavor combinations that I enjoy. You can switch out or add different ingredients to suit your taste. I think black beans would be a great addition to this salad. An extra little drizzle of barbeque sauce would be great too.

BBQ Chicken Salad

1 chicken breast, pounded thinly
3 Tbsp. barbeque sauce
½ head iceberg or romaine lettuce, cut into bite-size pieces handful of frozen corn, thawed
¼ English cucumber
¼ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
4 Tbsp. red onion, thinly sliced (I don’t like raw onion so I skipped but thought others would enjoy them)
handful of tortilla strips (found by the croutons)
ranch dressing

1. Heat a skillet to medium heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Cook chicken on one side then flip and generously slather with barbeque sauce. Flip and slather the other side. Cook until chicken is done and juices run clear. Remove to cutting board and let it sit for a few minutes for the juices to redistribute. Slice chicken into bite size pieces.

2. Layer lettuce, corn, cucumbers, onion, cheese, chicken and tortilla strips. Drizzle with desired amount of ranch dressing.