Potato Salad

Lighter version of a picnic favorite. This Potato Salad is mayo free but still has all the flavor you want!

Can I do two potato posts in one week?

Is that ok with you?

It's more than ok with me because I mean, those Smashed Potatoes... holy mother of pearl they are the greatest potatoes.

And then who doesn't like Potato Salad, especially when I made it healthier and even included bacon?

Plus, I feel like Potato Salad is totally a recipe for the 4th of July and since that's a week from today, what better time that to go ahead and post it, right?

If you've read my blog for even a small amount of time, you know that I am not a huge fan of mayonnaise.

Maybe it's from the semester I spent as a lunch lady, dealing with excessively large jars and large amounts of mayonnaise. {I just mini threw up}

Or it could be the gloopy noise it makes when you stir it. Ew

But I think the most likely reason is that it just doesn't offer many nutritional benefits.

[click_to_tweet tweet="Lighter version of a picnic favorite. This Potato Salad is mayo free but is still full of flavor" quote="Lighter version of a picnic favorite. This Potato Salad is mayo free but is still full of flavor"]

Most people try replacing mayo with plain yogurt, but I'm sorry, that just doesn't work for me.

Yogurt is tangy to be a mayonaisse replacement. Mayo is not {or at least it's not supposed to be}...

Therefore, I blend cottage cheese {since it has a relatively neutral, non-tangy flavor} and use that to replace the mayo in most every recipe.

So it should come as no surprise that I use cottage cheese to make my potato salad

Because bacon makes everything better, I use bacon in my potato salad and even throw in an extra teaspoon of bacon grease for good measure.

That's totally optional but since it's only about 40 calories, I don't mind and it fills the potato salad with extra bacon-y flavor. Always a good thing in my opinion.

However, if you want to make this recipe vegetarian, you can completely skip the bacon!

With or without the bacon, I was quite impressed with the results.

In fact, I am confident that any person that tries this potato salad will like it.

So if you're trying to think of what to bring to a 4th of July party next week, this Potato Salad is what it should be. Double or triple the recipe if needed.

Lighter Potato Salad

Lighter version of a picnic favorite. This Potato Salad is mayo free but still has all the flavor you want!

5 from 1 vote

Print Rate

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes minutes

Servings: 6

Author: Meme

Ingredients

• ▢ 4 slices center-cut bacon chopped, optional
• ▢ 1 lb red potatoes unpeeled & chopped into bite sized pieces
• ▢ ⅓ cup cottage cheese
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ▢ 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• ▢ ½ clove garlic minced {optional}
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 2 green onions chopped

Instructions

• Put the bacon in a large, cold skillet. Heat over medium and cook until the bacon is crispy. Transfer to paper towels to drain, and set aside. Reserve 1 teaspoon of bacon grease.
• Meanwhile, add the potatoes to a large pot and fill with cold water. Bring to a boil and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Drain well, put on paper towels, and let cool.
• Put the cottage cheese, Dijon mustard, white vinegar, garlic {if using}, reserved 1 teaspoon of bacon grease {optional} and salt into the bowl of a food processor or blender. Process until completely smooth. Transfer to a glass or plastic bowl and add green onions and cooled potatoes. 
• Toss to coat completely. Cover and let sit for at least 1 hour. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to eat. Stir in bacon pieces just before serving.

Notes

*Potato Salad is best served the day of or day after to prevent the bacon from getting soggy and the salad from getting too watery.

*Omit bacon for vegetarian version, and skip the first step.

Did you try this recipe?Be sure to leave a comment & recipe rating below. Bonus points for tagging @memeinge & #livingwellkitchen on Instagram! THANK YOU! xo

What I used to make this recipe:

[showhide type="post" more_text="Click here for Nutrition Facts" less_text="Clear Nutrition Facts"]
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Meme

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