Do you find golden-brown, crispy-skinned potatoes to be as utterly irresistible as I do? It’s very difficult for me to not start picking those steaming little golden jewels right off of the hot baking sheet and munching on them—-their crispy skin glistening with a light sheen of good olive oil, delectably seasoned with sea salt and cracked pepper—-so I do. And I almost always burn my mouth. It’s not that I haven’t learned by now, it’s just that I consider the slight pain a small sacrifice compared to experiencing that aromatic, buttery baby potato just melt away in my mouth. Though a perfectly roasted baby potato truly does not need to have anything more added to it than some simple seasoning to make it delish, I really want to go all out on a savory limb and start talking crispy bacon, caramelized, red onions and a warm, bacon vinaigrette. Oh no, I didn’t.
Warm potato salad is just a whole different type of potato salad. The flavors that get mingled in get absorbed fully and the result is a peppery-sweet tanginess, truly mouth-watering. Bacon adds the crispy, smoky saltiness; the caramelized red onion, the slight sweetness; and the vinaigrette, a combination of all of the above. You know that cozy feeling when you wrap yourself in a toasty-warm comforter that just came out of the dryer? That’s what your taste buds experience when you eat a succulent, warm potato salad.
So here’s my idea of no-frills romance: my hubs and I sitting out on a porch swing in the evening watching the sun go down, taking bites of our warm, roasted baby potato salad between sips of a shared, perfectly ice-cold, thirst quenching beer that goes down oh-so smoothly. Ah… perfect relaxation. Is that summer I hear a callin’? Why, I think it just may be.
Taste what’s good and pass it on.
Ingrid
Print RecipeWarm, Roasted Baby Potato Salad with Crispy Bacon, Caramelized Red Onions and Warm Bacon Vinaigrette
(Serves about 6)
Roasted Potato Salad Ingredients:
2 (1 ½ pound) bags yellow baby potatoes, either halved or quartered depending on size
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided use, plus a drizzle for the baking sheet
1 teapsoon sea salt, plus a pinch, divided use
¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 large red onion, quartered and sliced thinly
1 tablespoon sugar
6 strips apple smoked bacon, uncured, chopped into small pieces
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Preparation:
-Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil.
-In a large bowl, add the halved (or quartered) baby potatoes along with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the 1 teaspoon of sea salt and the cracked pepper, and toss well to combine; drizzle a little bit of olive oil onto the foil lined baking sheet, and turn the baby potatoes out onto the baking sheet and roast for 35-40, or until golden-brown and tender; while potatoes roast, crisp the bacon and caramelize the red onion.
-In a medium-large non-stick pan set over medium heat, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil; when hot, add the sliced red onion and the tablespoon of sugar, and toss to coat with a pair of tongs; cook/caramelize the red onions on medium for about 12-14 minutes, or until a golden, caramel color, and softened; once onions are caramelized, add the pinch of sea salt to them, stir to incorporate, and remove from heat; set aside and keep warm until ready to add to potato salad.
-Next, in a medium, non-stick pan set over medium heat, cook the bacon pieces until brown and crispy, and then remove them with a slotted spoon and onto a paper towel to drain; reserve 3 tablespoons of the bacon drippings, and set aside to use in the vinaigrette; keep the drippings warm.
-Once the baby potatoes are roasted, remove from oven, and allow them to cool for a few moments while you prepare the warm, bacon vinaigrette, below.
Warm, Bacon Vinaigrette ingredients:
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons reserved, warm bacon drippings
1 tablespoon olive oil
Preparation:
-In a small bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients beginning with the apple cider vinegar through the salt; slowly drizzle in the bacon drippings while whisking, and then the olive oil; whisk until the vinaigrette is well combined.
To Assemble:
-Add the warm, roasted baby potatoes to a large bowl, and then add the caramelized red onion, the crispy bacon, the chopped flat-leaf parsley and the vinaigrette; toss well to completely combine, making sure that all of the potatoes are well dressed; divide equally among plates, and serve while still warm.
*This potato salad is also quite delicious served cold, perhaps with the addition of spinach or arugula greens.
Lynda Rice
June 11, 2012 at 5:42 pmIngrid, this potatoe salad looks so tasty! My husband and I will love this dish. I could also see this compliment as a side dish with many of your wonderful entrees too!
Diane
June 12, 2012 at 5:48 amOh my! This is incredible! I’ve been roasting baby yellow potatoes in olive oil and herbs for awhile, but the additions you’ve made are over the top! Can’t wait to try it. I know it’s good just by reading the recipe. This is dinner tonight. Thanks!!
thecozyapron
June 12, 2012 at 9:25 amHi Diane, I do hope you give this recipe a try — I think you’ll really enjoy this spin on it.
Aninas Recipes
June 12, 2012 at 11:57 pmHi Ingrid! Great recipe. I live in South Africa, and when we have braais or barbeques, we always have a side dish of potatoes. If it is in the summer, it will be a cold potato salad – with loads of mayo – and in winter we like to have hot potatoes – like these. We would just add bachamel sauce and loads of cheese! I love the simplicity of this one though! Thanx!
thecozyapron
June 13, 2012 at 4:29 pmAnina, thank you for stopping by and sharing that! It seems that so very many cultures just adore their potatoes, and it’s interesting to see all the variations on recipes.
Carrie
June 13, 2012 at 2:19 pmWhat can you use instead of the bacon drippings? I can’t wait to make this!
thecozyapron
June 14, 2012 at 3:52 pmHi Carrie, feel free to use all olive oil (making a total of 4 tablespoons, then) in place of the bacon drippings. You won’t have that smoky flavor, but the cider vinegar and the remaining ingredients will still give it that savory/tangy kick.
Christina
June 15, 2012 at 9:38 amI made this last night and it was delicious! A new favorite for both my husband and me. I’ve roasted baby potatoes before, but not as successfully as your base recipe here. My husband ate a couple of them off of the cookie sheet and was bummed that I was going to do anything else with them. Until he tasted the end result. So this is a great recipe for both the basic potatoes and the salad. Thank you so much for sharing!
thecozyapron
June 15, 2012 at 6:27 pmI appreciate that, Christina—thanks!
Janet
June 15, 2012 at 3:11 pmThis is a must try. All these ingredients are on my list of favorite foods.
d
June 16, 2012 at 5:35 pmexcellent! so creamy and yummy
Lotta
June 17, 2012 at 2:42 pmThis was awesome, as expected! My favorite way of cooking potatoes combined with bacon and caramelized onions–can’t get much better than that! My dish had relatively more onions, because I only made half a portion and still used a whole onion (I used a yellow onion because that’s all I had).
Jennifer
June 17, 2012 at 4:33 pmJust made this tonight for Father’s Day dinner. It was amazing. Thanks for sharing. My fiance used the vinaigrette for gravy on his steak. Score!
Terri
July 19, 2012 at 5:01 pmWow !! Thank you for this delicous looking recipe, I love bacon on just about anything. I live in South Dakota and it’s too hot to cook inside and wonder if I could grill the potato’s.
thecozyapron
July 20, 2012 at 6:06 amHi Terri, if you prefer to grill the potatoes, that should be just fine — you’ll actually be adding even more “smokey” flavor to them, which will be great for this recipe.
Jeff
July 20, 2012 at 10:13 amThank you for sharing this recipe. It looks amazing and I am very excited to try it.
Robert
July 26, 2012 at 5:27 pmHi Ingrid,
Found you on pinterest and now found your web site. I’m a want to be cook and like to try different things. Needless to say I’ve struck gold. Your recipes are fabulous and so good. Many thanks!!!!!!!
The Cozy Apron
July 26, 2012 at 7:58 pmRobert, so glad to have you come by! Seems like you’ve perhaps found some recipes that you may want to potentially try out, and I look forward to you coming back to share your experience with them once you do. Happy cooking to you!
Patsy
September 8, 2012 at 11:09 amThis was fantastic. Love, love, love it. My husband did too.
Will be adding to my best recipes collection. Thank you.
The Cozy Apron
September 8, 2012 at 3:31 pmPatsy, so glad you and your hubby enjoyed this, and that the recipe will hold a place in your “best recipes collection” -I’m honored!
Kayla
October 5, 2012 at 5:04 pmThis was yummy! I read the recipe wrong in a hurry and put 1 tbs of seasoning salt by accident but it still turned out fabulous! I would maybe add more bacon the next time though!
Taylor
March 26, 2013 at 4:32 pmI made this dish for dinner today. It’s so ridiculously good, I need to make this many more times.
Suzie Waclawski
May 31, 2013 at 10:00 amI love this recipe we roast a ton of our veggies and btw we oven roast our bacon right next to the potatoes ….
Yuri
April 11, 2014 at 5:39 amI just made this salad for lunch& absolutely loved it! I added our favorotes avo and spring onion. My hubby says he will have it for dinner too(*^_^*) I am transferring the recipe to my notebook. Will do this every week! Thanks
The Cozy Apron
April 11, 2014 at 1:45 pmHi Yuri! That is wonderful—and the spring onion sounds delicious! So glad both you and your hubby enjoyed this, and I hope he enjoys having his left-overs for dinner, too! 😉 Thanks for taking a moment to share the experience with me.
Joy Walden
June 15, 2014 at 8:09 pmI made this tonight for my husband for a Father’s Day dinner, I added about two cups of spinach at the end yum yum yum thank you for the recipe
The Cozy Apron
June 16, 2014 at 2:40 pmHi Joy, thank you for coming back to share that with me! So glad you both enjoyed this!
Mark
January 23, 2015 at 6:41 pmI used to make a version of these potatoes when I would be the camp cook for my friends in Arizona. I used to add different kinds of chiles to it, depending on if there were kids there or not. Didn’t have a vinegrette though. Will try yours. Might also add green peppers and maybe a jalapeño. Brings back memories.
The Cozy Apron
January 24, 2015 at 8:03 amMark, I love it when a recipe can bring someone back to a certain time, especially when it involves good times! Thanks for sharing that with me. I hope you try my twist, though I’m sure you’ll make it your own creation. Enjoy!
Nancy
January 26, 2015 at 4:46 pmHi, Ingrid. I saw this recipe on pinterest, visited here a few weeks ago to see what you had to say about it. We tried it tonight. It is delicious! I wish I’d made a double batch so we could have had leftovers. I think it might be my new comfort food. Thanks so much for posting it.
The Cozy Apron
January 26, 2015 at 5:44 pmNancy, that’s really great to read! (Well, at least now you’ll know for next time to make a double batch!) So glad you decided to give it a try, and I’m thrilled that it’ll be something you’ll crave when you’re looking for a little comfort. 🙂
Barbara
May 9, 2015 at 3:59 pmThis was so delicious!!! Thank you!
The Cozy Apron
May 11, 2015 at 6:31 pmHi Barbara, so glad you enjoyed! Thanks for your comments.
Jack and Barbra Donachy
June 21, 2015 at 12:23 amWow. This was the best potato salad we’ve ever eaten. Because we like to tinker with recipes, we are already imagining different spice sets to try with this delicious base. I think curry would be amazing. Thanks for posting this recipe.
Greetings from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia!
The Cozy Apron
June 21, 2015 at 1:47 pmHey Jack & Barbra! So glad to read that! And I love comments from around the world, so I appreciate you taking some time to share your experience with me! Keep experimenting—the possibilities are endless! 🙂
Laurie
July 4, 2015 at 7:46 amFound this while searching for a German P.S. Recipe. It sounds great so I am making it today for the 4th! On the off chance you see this soooon, will the dressing soak in if I toss it early or should I wait for an hour or so before serving?? 🙂
The Cozy Apron
July 4, 2015 at 8:31 amHi Laurie, got your comment! You can do it either way; the flavor should be good even if you do it earlier, plus it may allow for the potatoes to sit in the dressing a little longer. (It may also be more convenient for you, too!) But an hour before is fine, as well—you really can’t go wrong either way. Hope you enjoy, Laurie!! Happy 4th!
Laurie
July 4, 2015 at 9:20 amAwesome! Thanks for the quick response! I am getting everything ready now and will toss when potatoes are done. I hope there is bacon left – my husband and I rarely indulge! So glad I found you! 🙂
The Cozy Apron
July 4, 2015 at 11:11 amHaha! I understand the “rarely indulge” in the bacon thing—even thoughI have a handful of recipes on the blog containing bacon, that’s pretty much the only time I (we) indulge, as well; so hopefully, you’ll have left over! 🙂 So glad you found us, too… 🙂
Laurie
July 5, 2015 at 8:00 amI’ll stop bugging you but did want to drop by to tell you we all loved the potato salad! It wasn’t your typical German-style salad. Thanks for a great recipe and for your help along the way! 🙂
The Cozy Apron
July 5, 2015 at 9:19 amLaurie, so thrilled to read that! That’s great. And the pleasure was all mine! 🙂
Mary
August 18, 2015 at 7:40 amThis recipe looks amazing! Just wondering….can I make it two days ahead? Should I freeze it then or would it be ok in the fridge for two days? Thanks!
The Cozy Apron
August 18, 2015 at 12:30 pmHi Mary! You can absolutely keep this in the fridge for the two days—no problem! Hope you enjoy… 🙂
Mary
August 18, 2015 at 12:49 pmThanks so much!
Lori Russell
August 29, 2015 at 5:14 amServed this for dinner with friends. The reaction after their first bites said it all. Will definitely make this again. Delicious!
The Cozy Apron
August 29, 2015 at 5:42 pmLori, that’s wonderful! So excited to read that, and I’m glad that this recipe is one that you will be preparing again! Thank you for your comments.
Sharon
February 13, 2016 at 12:11 pmHi Ingrid, I have about 8 large, previously baked Idaho baking potatoes left over from our Super Bowl party. Is there anyway to prepare these potatoes to reuse for your recipe? Your recipe sounds delicious and since I have these, I hate toss them out it they could possibly be “recycled”. Thanks so much!
The Cozy Apron
February 13, 2016 at 1:40 pmHi Sharon! Absolutely—what a great idea to try and use ’em up! If they’re whole, just cube them, and proceed with making the dressing and adding in bacon, etc. 🙂
Lisa Evanoff
March 25, 2016 at 5:14 pmMade this tonight and it is one of the “forever” keepers
The Cozy Apron
March 28, 2016 at 7:12 pmLisa, so glad you enjoyed and that this goes into the “forever keepers” file, lol! 🙂 Thanks so much for taking a moment to share your experience.
Giddy Gourmand
March 7, 2017 at 11:18 amBacon, potatoes, beer… what more can you ask for? 😉
Karen
July 23, 2017 at 5:38 pmA warm Sunday summer evening in NH. A couple of retired folks still working an organic back yard garden… 3rd time this was a “go to” supper!
Simply … Thank you!!!
The Cozy Apron
July 23, 2017 at 7:50 pmKaren, thank YOU for sharing that with me! I can imagine you in your garden, and it’s so cozy & comforting to me…and I’m so glad this recipe has been one you could go to for a simple meal, several times now. I appreciate your comments!
JK
April 10, 2018 at 4:50 pmHi Ingrid, I rarely write any comments but I had to let you know that this salad is beyond good – it is awesome! Occasionally we will eat a baked potato but NO more – this will be my only potato recipe! And the vinaigrette – WOW! I served the salad naked (sans vinaigrette) with the vinaigrette on the side as a sauce and I thought my father-in-law was going to drink it, he liked it so much! Thank you so much for your creative take on potato salad!
The Cozy Apron
April 10, 2018 at 6:48 pmHi JK, what a compliment! So glad this recipe was such a success for you, and you made me chuckle at the enjoyment your father-in-law received from the vinaigrette! Just wonderful…Thanks so much for sharing that with me, and I hope you find a few more recipes of ours to tinker with! Happy cooking!