This is what happens when a baked potato and a potato salad get together with me as their officiant. Crispy skins, fluffy brown butter interiors, sharp horseradish cream, perfectly cooked peppered bacon, and lacy cheese shards that crack into everything. Invite me to your cookout and I’ll be eating this entire bowl and promptly taking a nap.
A few things that make this worth the effort: browning the butter adds a nutty depth that plain melted butter just can’t touch. The miso in the dressing is quiet but important, it adds a savory backbone without tasting like miso. And the frico (those cheese crisps) are non-negotiable!! They shatter into the salad and give you little pockets of salty crunch in every bite. Life tip - make extra cause you will eat them off the pan.
TOTAL TIME: 45 minutes plus 30 for chilling
SERVES: 4-6
can I make this ahead?
Yes! This is actually better the next day. Make everything through step 6, store the salad in the fridge overnight, and keep your reserved bacon and frico separate. Add the toppings right before serving.
what kind of potatoes work best?
Russets are ideal here because their fluffy, starchy interior absorbs the brown butter and dressing really well. Yukon Golds will give you a creamier, denser result - also delicious, just a different texture.
can I skip the frico?
You could, but I wouldn’t. They’re what makes this feel like more than a potato salad. If you’re short on time, store-bought parmesan crisps are a solid shortcut.
my dressing tastes a bit flat, what do I do?
Taste and adjust: more horseradish for heat, more lemon for brightness, more salt if it just needs a lift. The dressing should taste almost too bold on its ow, it mellows once it hits the potatoes.
how long does this keep?
3–4 days in the fridge, stored without the toppings. Re-crisp the frico in a dry pan or oven before serving if needed.
make it GF: ✅
make it DF: ❌
For the potatoes:
4 large russet potatoes (about 2 lbs)
2 tbsp neutral oil
2 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter
freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon
For the dressing:
1/2 cup mayo
2 tsp white miso
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tbsp prepared horseradish
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 clove garlic
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup chives, finely chopped
For the pepper bacon:
6 strips thick-cut bacon
1 tsp fresh black pepper
For the frico:
1/2 cup aged white cheddar
1/2 cup parmesan
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
To finish:
lots of extra chives
cook the pepper bacon
Place bacon on a lined sheet tray in a single layer and sprinkle with black pepper. Place in the cold oven and set oven to 425F. Bake for about 20 minutes, until aggressively crispy. Drain on paper towel.
Starting bacon in a cold oven renders the fat more slowly, which means crispier, less shrunken strips.
bake the potatoes
wash and pierce potatoes and rub generously with oil and sprinkle with salt. Place directly on the oven rack and bake for 55-60 minutes, until the skins are crisp and a knife slides through easily (internal temp of 200F is perfect).
easy: before oiling, pierce potatoes and place in microwave for 6-10 minutes, flipping every 2 minutes, until slightly softened (we aren’t cooking all the way through). Then oil, salt and place in oven for 10-15 minutes until skins are crisp and internal temp is 200F.
MEANWHILE
make your cheese crisps
finely grate 1/2 cup each of aged white cheddar and parmesan cheese.
line a large sheet tray and place a layer of cheese in small circles, leaving space between each. Sprinkle with smoked paprika and bake for 8-10 minutes, until golden and lacy with some holes.
back to the potatoes
brown 1/4 cup butter, place a small frying pan over medium heat. Add butter, swirling every few seconds. It will get really bubbly, and then turn brown, that’s your cue to remove from heat.
when the potatoes are cooked through, remove from oven and let cool just enough to handle. Cut into 1/2 inch cubes and add to a large bowl.
drizzle over juice of 1 lemon, 1/2 tsp salt and your browned butter. Toss gently and set aside to cool.
don’t skip cooling slightly before adding the dressing - hot potatoes will break the mayo and turn everything greasy.
make the dressing
in a small bowl, add 2 tsp white miso and 1/2 cup mayo and whisk until completely smooth.
add 1/2 cup sour cream, 1 tbsp prepared horseradish , 1 tbsp dijon mustard 1 clove minced garlic, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper and mix well.
finely chop 1/4 cup chives and mix in.
assemble and chill
drizzle your dressing overtop your potatoes, crush in 5 slices of bacon, and half of your cheese, and mix gently. Chill for at least 30 minutes up to overnight. If leaving overnight, store reserved bacon in a sealed container in the fridge and reserved frico at room temp so it stays crispy.
serve
when ready to serve, transfer to your dish and top with remaining bacon and cheese crushed overtop along with remaining chives.
sour cream: full-fat Greek yogurt works well and adds a little tang
white miso: you can leave it out, but add an extra pinch of salt to compensate; a small splash of soy sauce also works in a pinch
1 clove garlic: 1 tsp garlic powder
aged white cheddar: gruyère or a sharp orange cheddar both work for the frico
thick-cut bacon: pancetta cubes are great here; for a vegetarian version, skip the bacon and add smoked paprika and toasted breadcrumbs for crunch
chives: green onions tops are great too
smoked paprika: regular paprika works well or skip (or do a pinch of cayenne if you like some heat!)
What’s your go-to bbq side dish? I’m building my summer recipe list and want real answers.
I have every ingredient on hand and am about to eat potato salad at 10:30 am thank you so much
I had everything on hand when I saw this but bacon, but I DID have prosciutto which I crisped up! Probably not the exact same flavor but this was a HUGE hit tonight, thanks for the inspiration!!