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Bacon Ranch Potato Salad

Bacon ranch potato salad with tender cubed potatoes, bacon, cheddar, and a creamy ranch-sour cream dressing. Chilled for 2 hours so it’s loaded, creamy, and easy to serve as a party side.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Chilling 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Potatoes and mix-ins
  • 3 lb red potatoes
  • 10 bacon cooked and crumbled
  • 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded
  • 1 cup ranch dressing
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
  • 0.25 cup green onions sliced
  • 2 tbsp fresh chives chopped
Seasoning
  • 0.25 salt to taste
  • 0.25 pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Boil and cool the potatoes
  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then add the red potatoes and boil until tender, 10-15 minutes. The potatoes should offer little resistance when pierced with a fork.
  2. Drain the potatoes and let them cool to room temperature. Spread them out so steam can escape and prevent a watery salad.
Combine the base
  1. In a mixing bowl, combine the cooled red potatoes, bacon, and sharp cheddar cheese. Toss until the cheese looks evenly distributed.
Make the ranch dressing
  1. In a separate bowl, mix ranch dressing and sour cream with salt and pepper. Stir until smooth and pourable, with no sour cream streaks.
Assemble and finish
  1. Pour the ranch dressing over the potato mixture and toss well to coat everything. Scrape the bottom of the bowl to ensure no dry pockets remain.
  2. Top with green onions and fresh chives. Scatter them over the surface so they stay visible.
Chill
  1. Refrigerate the potato salad for 2 hours before serving. Chill until firm and cold, so the flavors meld and the dressing thickens.

Notes

For the best texture, cool the boiled potatoes fully before mixing so they don’t melt the cheddar or thin the dressing. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days. Freeze: no, freezing can change the potato and dressing texture. If you want a lighter option, use reduced-fat ranch dressing and reduced-fat cheddar (still toss and chill the same way).