What’s not to love about a fully loaded ranch potato salad filled with bits of bacon and chunks of egg? This has been my kids’ favorite potato salad for over 10 years now.
This is a super easy-to-make potato salad with bacon, eggs, and ranch dressing and it’s been a huge hit with everyone who tries it.
Ranch Potato Salad
One day a few years ago, while I was making a fresh batch of Ranch Dressing, my eye fell on an enormous leftover baked potato and a few hard-boiled eggs waiting in the refrigerator.
The ingredients were almost begging me to make a potato salad. I won’t pretend that the bacon here was leftover, I cooked it fresh. Who ever heard of leftover bacon?!
Even with cooking the bacon, this ranch potato salad came together so easily that I instantly knew it would be one that would show up in the future on our lunch and dinner menus. This recipe multiplies beautifully and I usually double or triple it for get-togethers with friends.
I’ve served this to plenty of guests, brought it to potlucks, and made it as a dinner side dish just for the family. It’s a guaranteed hit every time.
Potato Salad with Bacon
When I decided to make a ranch potato salad that first time, my mind immediately turned to bacon. There simply isn’t a bad way to include bacon in a salad, right?
I wanted a salad with the flavors of ranch dressing, but also with some smokiness from the bacon. I used just a bit of the bacon grease to season the dressing and the whole salad picked up that slightly smoky flavor that we love.
With a few leftover hardboiled eggs and baked potatoes, this salad comes together quickly. Rather than using a storebought or pre-made ranch dressing, I made an extra thick dressing with mayonnaise and all the usual ranch seasoning suspects like dill and parsley.
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