Growing up, I had potatoes in some form or another about 4 to 5 times a week with dinner. Dinner without potatoes wasn’t a real dinner. As a kid, I actually wasn’t too fond of this starchy root vegetable. If it weren’t mixed with something else, I had a hard time eating it. In the wintertime, we usually had mashed potatoes. This was a problematic form of potatoes for me. I’d make a volcano crater in the middle and pour gravy into it to face my potato foe. If it was a gravy-less meal, I imagined that my mountain of mashed potatoes was a mound of vanilla ice cream. Family rules required me to eat everything off my plate, so I either dreamed of ice cream and ate it all up, or I was stuck at the dinner table for a very long time. Spring and summertime potato dishes were more appealing to me. Potato salad was always a winner (but without the chopped, raw onions). I have to say that my favorite preparation ended up being a Polish dish of boiled potatoes with sour cream and dill. Fast forward to today, and I’m happy to say that I have left my childhood pickiness behind. I can enjoy potatoes in all its forms, even dry mashed potatoes–a family favorite of my husband’s. Unfortunately, this transformation took place when potatoes are getting mixed reviews in terms of health consequences and effects on blood sugar levels. Just my luck.
While I have warmed up to potatoes over the years, I have to say that boiled or baked potatoes paired with something tasty is still what my taste buds prefer. German potato salad is a perfect example. In this recipe, potatoes are paired with bacon. It’s hard to go wrong when it’s a pairing involving bacon!
Boil the potatoes in their skins. Meanwhile, chop the bacon and cook until crisp. Chop a couple of onions and saute them in the delicious bacon drippings until translucent and a little caramelized.
Chop the herbs and make the dressing. These herbs are from our out of control herb garden.
Then we have all the components ready to go.
Time to mix it all together and let the salad rest while the flavors meld together.
Then it’s time to serve, either warm or at room temperature. Because of this trait, the salad is just as great for picnics as it is for the dining room table. It’s a rich side dish, so it might not be your pick if you are calorie counting!
| Prep Time | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time | 30 minutes |
| Servings |
people
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- 1 tablespoon salt
- 3 pounds red potatoes
- 1/2 pound bacon, coarsely chopped
- 2 medium onions, chopped
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 cup fresh chives, chopped
- 2 teaspoons marjoram (or 1/4 cup fresh)
- 1/2 cup Italian flat leafed parsley, chopped
Ingredients
Dressing
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- In a large pot of water, add salt and boil red potatoes in their jackets until fork tender, about 20 minutes. Drain. When cool enough to handle, chop into bite-size cubes and transfer to a large bowl.
- While the potatoes are cooking, add bacon to a preheated medium-size frying pan and cook until crisp. Remove bacon from pan with a slotted spoon and reserve in a small bowl. Discard all but about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the bacon drippings.
- On medium heat, saute onions in the same pan with the reserved bacon drippings, stirring frequently, until browned. Add onions and bacon to the potatoes.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together vinegar, sugar, mustard, salt, paprika, chives, marjoram, and parsley. Pour over potatoes, onions, and bacon, and carefully toss to evenly distribute. Serve warm or at room temperature.
