Think about what you might top a baked potato with (bacon, sour cream, scallions) and then make it into potato salad! That’s how this recipe was created. With the warmer months ahead, it’s always a great idea to look for fun, delicious side dishes to serve at a barbeque or bring on a picnic. This healthy loaded potato salad tastes indulgent, but is a delicious and healthy spin on a classic summer staple.

What you’ll need to make this recipe

Yukon gold potatoes (or honey gold potatoes)
chicken broth
center cut bacon
red onion
scallions
sour cream
plain non-fat Greek yogurt
light mayo
white vinegar
kosher salt
paprika
garlic powder
onion powder

About the ingredients

Why do you always use Yukon gold potatoes? Doesn’t everyone have a favorite potato? No? Just me? Well, these are definitely my favorite. Yukon gold potatoes are the superior potato in my opinion. They are creamy and delicious on the inside, and way more tender than other varieties. They are a beautiful golden color. I find that they cook so well, even when you crisp up the outsides, the insides stay creamy and tender. To me, these potatoes are extremely easy to cook. I recently discovered a new favorite variety of these potatoes, called the “honey gold” potatoes. They are the same family, but smaller. I used this variety to make this salad, and I cut them into fourths. What’s the deal with center cut bacon? Center cut bacon is regular pork bacon, except it has less fat on it, making it naturally lower in calories and fat. That’s all there is to it! I love using it for recipes because at the end of the day, it’s delicious bacon, just a *tad* less greasy. I use this brand most of the time, but any will work! What is the chicken broth for? I like to boil my potatoes in chicken broth; here I used half chicken broth, and half water. I just find that using chicken broth adds flavor to the potatoes, without adding any calories. It adds that depth of flavor we look for. Can I substitute the sour cream and mayo? Honestly, I wouldn’t. Because if you substitute those out, you’ll basically be left with just yogurt. And I’m just not quite sure how that would taste. I love the addition of the sour cream here to mimic the flavor of a loaded baked potato.

How to make healthy loaded potato salad

Roasting the bacon and onion

To make this healthy loaded potato salad, we are going to start off by roasting the bacon and red onion. This will take the longest (as we wait for the oven to preheat), so start off by preheating your oven to 400F. Also, line a sheet pan with parchment paper or foil, and chop your onion. Once the oven is preheated, you can add the bacon strips to one side of the sheet pan, and the onion to the other. Spray the onion with some cooking spray, and then add a pinch of kosher salt on top of the onion. Roast everything for about 15 minutes, or until the bacon is nice and crispy and the onions are tender.

Cooking the potatoes and making the dressing

While that’s cooking, add the broth and water to a large pot. Cut the potatoes up (no need to peel Yukon gold potatoes, since the skin is so soft). Add the potatoes to the pot, and then turn the heat on. Bring the liquid to a boil, and then cook the potatoes until they are fork tender. Be careful not to overcook them, as they need to hold up to the dressing. To make the dressing, combine the sour cream, yogurt, mayo, vinegar, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Whisk everything together. Once the potatoes are cooked, drain them (but do not rinse them!) and add them to the bowl with the dressing. Crumble the cooked bacon on top, and add the cooked onions. Chop up the scallions and add those in, too.

And then… fold the foil to create a funnel, and pour that residual bacon grease into the bowl also. YES. This is so key!

How-To Video

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And there you have it… the most delicious, healthy loaded potato salad.