Loaded Baked Potato Salad

Hello, gentle readers! Sorry for the gap in postings, but I'm back now! (You can, of course, feel free to fill any gaps with recipes of your own...)

I found this salad to be very tasty--and easy to make. Can be served when the potatoes are still warm or used as a make-ahead dish and served chilled. Either sour cream or Greek yogurt can be used depending on what you have on hand and how health-conscious you want to be.

4 Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes

1/4 cup mayo

1/2 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 cup finely shopped chives (or 1 T dried chives)

8 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled*

scant 1 tsp black pepper

salt to taste

Wash potatoes, stab with a fork and pop in the microwave. Bake on the "Baked Potato" setting. (Sorry, I don't know how long. It will vary depending on your microwave and size of your potatoes.) It's OK if they are "fork tender"-still a little firm-as that will help them maintain their shape in the salad.

While the potatoes are cooking, mix the mayo and sour cream/yogurt in a small bowl til completely combined. Stir in cheese, pepper, and half of the chives. Chill in fridge until ready to use.

Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut into cubes or slices. (I cut in half, longwise, then sliced into crescents.) In a large bowl, gently mix the potatoes with the sour cream mixture. Fold in most of your crumbled bacon. Taste and add salt, if desired. Top with remaining chives and bacon.

Serves: 4-6

Note: You could peel the potatoes if you want, but I like the potato skin on a baked potato (and I'm lazy), so I just left it on when I chopped the potatoes.

*Laney showed me this fabulous trick for when you're needing to cook and crumble bacon--cut the bacon into short (1/2") pieces before you toss it in the pan. Not only does it cook faster, but you can cook more at once. Just stir occasionally as it's cooking. Brilliant!