Loaded Potato Salad

Gooooooo football! Or, I should say Goooooo tailgate! 'Cuz that's really the part I enjoy about this whole season. This weekend we make our annual trek to Penn State to watch a game in the fabulous Beaver Stadium and eat, drink, and be merry afterwards late into the night. This all started as a simple family gathering back when my brother was attending school there. And then more people attended Penn State, and more people, and now it has evolved into a food- and drinkfest of over 30 people who gather every year and then end up at the little Irish bar to play table wars and sing dirty songs after it gets dark (or our beer runs out, or both).

So of course I told my mom I would make several dishes, which you will see in the following posts. The first I found from Mollie's blog (you will sense a theme here). I wanted something different from my regular mayo and hard-boiled egg potato salad, but still something that would be a crowd pleaser. After tasting this, I can assure that with each bite you think you are biting into a loaded baked potato.

The recipe below is Mollie's original, with some changes I made after asking her a million questions regarding flavoring and amounts. I made 5 pounds of salad with all full-fat ingredients, but I provide you with her pared down version. WE ARE...PENN STATE!!

Loaded Potato Salad
adapted from Reading, 'Riting, and Recipes
Makes 4 servings

1 1/2 pounds redskin potatoes
4 slices turkey bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled*
3/4 cup low fat sour cream
3/4 cup 2% sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
4-6 green onions, sliced thin
1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped
black pepper to taste
dash of cayenne pepper

Cover the potatoes with cold water and bring to a boil. Cook for about 20 minutes or until fork tender. Drain well and place on cutting board. When cool enough, but potatoes into bite-sized cubes.

Meanwhile, combine sour cream, green onions, chives, pepper, and cayenne in large bowl. Add bacon and cheese to mixture, stir gently.

Add cubed potatoes while still slightly warm. Mix very gently. Season with more salt and pepper to taste.

*Bacon Alert:
When making a large amount of bacon, there is no need to slave away over the skillet forever. Simple place a wire baking rack on a cookie sheet with sides (line the cookie sheet with foil if you want to make your life easier). Bake at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes, until crisp. Voila!