Loaded Pioneer Woman Baked Potato Salad Recipe

This mouthwatering Pioneer Woman’s loaded baked potato salad transforms an ordinary side dish into a creamy, indulgent sensation.

Hearty ingredients mingle together, creating a symphony of rich, tangy flavors that dance across your palate.

The classic combination speaks to comfort food lovers seeking something beyond traditional recipes.

Each carefully selected component contributes depth and character to the overall experience.

Crisp textures and bold seasonings elevate this dish from simple to spectacular.

Family gatherings and summer barbecues will never be the same once you introduce this crowd-pleasing creation.

Prepare to become the culinary hero who brings excitement to the table:

Pro Tips for the Creamiest Potato Salad

• Boost Flavor Absorption: Splash warm potatoes with pickle juice before cooling. Each potato piece soaks up tangy goodness, creating incredible depth in every single bite.
• Customize Ranch Magic: Sprinkle homemade ranch seasoning for a personal twist. Crafting your own blend elevates the salad's herbal and zesty profile.
• Select Potato Perfection: Grab Russet potatoes for authentic texture. Their crumbly nature mimics a classic baked potato's soft, comforting feel.
• Create Loaded Excitement: Shower the salad with crispy bacon bits, sharp cheddar cheese, and chopped green onions. These toppings transform simple potato salad into a crowd-pleasing sensation.
• Plan Ahead Brilliance: Refrigerate overnight to let flavors mingle and develop. Patience rewards you with a more delicious, well-blended side dish that tastes even better the next day.

How to Store Leftover Potato Salad Without Losing Taste

• Airtight Container: Seal the potato salad in a leak-proof container to lock in freshness and prevent any unwanted fridge odors from seeping in. Plastic or glass containers with secure lids work perfectly, keeping every delicious bacon and cheese bite protected.
• Temperature Control: Chill the salad quickly after preparing, aiming to get it below 40°F within two hours of making. Cold temperatures slow bacterial growth and maintain the salad's creamy texture and vibrant flavors.
• Consumption Window: Enjoy the potato salad within 3-4 days for optimal taste and safety. After that, the ingredients start losing their crisp texture and fresh appeal, with mayonnaise potentially breaking down and herbs wilting.

Tasty Add-Ins for Your Next Potato Salad Batch

• Ranch Ranch Remix: Swap classic ranch seasoning for spicy jalapeño ranch, adding a kick of heat to the creamy potato salad.
• Smoky Southwest Style: Replace regular bacon with applewood smoked bacon and mix in diced green chiles for a southwestern flavor profile.
• Mediterranean Makeover: Substitute bacon with crumbled feta cheese, add chopped kalamata olives, and sprinkle dried oregano for a Mediterranean-inspired version.
• Herb Garden Explosion: Incorporate fresh chopped herbs like dill, chives, and parsley into the dressing for a bright, garden-fresh take on the traditional potato salad.

Why This Loaded Salad Is a Must for Gatherings

Potato salad masters, rejoice!

Pioneer Woman’s loaded baked potato salad revolutionizes classic picnic fare with its tangy, creamy profile.

Crispy bacon bits and zesty ranch seasoning elevate this dish from ordinary to extraordinary.

Summer gatherings will never be the same once you experience this culinary masterpiece.

Comfort meets creativity in each delectable bite of this crowd-pleasing recipe.

Listeners will crave more after one taste, so grab ingredients, channel your inner chef, and prepare to wow friends with this sensational side dish.

You’ll want to snap a photo, share the recipe, and watch likes roll in faster than potatoes can bake!

Why You’ll Crave This Loaded Potato Salad Again

• Elevate Comfort Food: This loaded baked potato salad transforms classic comfort food into a mouthwatering side dish that combines the best elements of a loaded baked potato and a creamy potato salad.
• Texture Sensation: Enjoy a delightful mix of crispy bacon bits, creamy dressing, tender potato chunks, and crunchy green onions that create an exciting and satisfying texture in every single bite.
• Flavor Explosion: The recipe brilliantly layers flavors with tangy pickle juice, zesty ranch seasoning, rich sour cream, sharp cheese, and savory bacon – delivering a complex taste profile that keeps you coming back for more.
• Easy Entertaining Champion: Perfect for summer gatherings, potlucks, and barbecues, this make-ahead dish requires minimal last-minute preparation and can be chilled in advance.

What You Need to Build This Baked Potato Salad

• Russet Potatoes: Hearty potatoes perfect for baking and creating a creamy potato salad base, ideal for holding other ingredients.

• Sour Cream, Mayonnaise: Tangy base that creates a rich and smooth dressing for the potato salad.

• Bacon: Crispy, salty meat that adds smoky depth and crunch to the salad.
• Shredded Cheese: Sharp and melty component that provides extra richness and flavor.
• Pickle Juice: Tangy liquid that adds moisture and subtle acidic notes to the potatoes.
• Ranch Seasoning: Herb-packed seasoning blend that gives a zesty and savory profile.

• Green Onions: Fresh, mild onion flavor that brings brightness and color to the dish.

• Mustard: Adds sharp, tangy complexity to the dressing.
• Salt and Pepper: Essential seasonings that balance and enhance overall flavor.
• Chopped Pickles: Crunchy, briny addition that provides texture and extra tang.

Easy Instructions for Fully Loaded Potato Salad

Step 1: Prepare Oven And Potatoes

Preheat oven to 400°F. Wash potatoes and use a fork to prick them all over, creating small holes for steam release. Place potatoes on a baking sheet.

Step 2: Bake Potatoes

Bake potatoes at 400°F for 1 hour until they’re easily pierced with a fork. Remove from oven and let cool for 15-20 minutes until comfortable to handle.

Step 3: Chop And Season Potatoes

Peel potatoes and cut into 1-inch chunks. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Drizzle pickle juice over potatoes and let sit until completely cooled, about 1 hour.

Step 4: Create Creamy Dressing

• Sour cream
• Mayonnaise
• Chopped pickles
• Ranch seasoning
• Mustard
• Salt
• Pepper

Stir until ingredients are thoroughly combined.

Step 5: Combine And Garnish

• Chopped bacon (reserve for topping)
• Shredded cheese
• Sliced green onions

Gently mix all ingredients.

Step 6: Chill And Serve

Refrigerate potato salad for at least 1 hour. Before serving, sprinkle reserved bacon and additional green onions on top. Serve chilled and enjoy!

Pioneer Woman Loaded Baked Potato Salad Recipe

---

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.8 from 11 reviews

• Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
• Yield: 8 1x

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Description

Pioneer Woman Loaded Baked Potato Salad delivers comfort in each creamy, bacon-studded bite. Hearty potatoes mingle with crisp bacon, sharp cheddar, and green onions, creating a crowd-pleasing side dish you’ll crave at summer gatherings.

---

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Main Ingredients:

• 4 pounds (1.8 kg) Russet potatoes
• 8 slices cooked bacon, chopped, divided
• 1 ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Dairy and Creamy Ingredients:

• 1 ¼ cups sour cream (use full-fat for a creamier texture, or light for fewer calories)
• ½ cup mayonnaise (any type)

Seasoning and Flavor Enhancers:

• ¼ cup pickle juice
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped pickles
• 1 tablespoon ranch seasoning
• 2 teaspoons yellow mustard
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¼ cup thinly sliced green onions, plus more for serving

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

---

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 400°F (204°C) and prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.
2. Thoroughly wash the potatoes and use a fork to puncture multiple holes across their surface, allowing steam to escape during roasting.
3. Roast the potatoes in the preheated oven for approximately 50 to 60 minutes, or until they become tender when pierced with a fork. Remove and let them cool for 15 to 20 minutes.
4. Carefully peel the cooled potatoes and chop them into uniform 1-inch cubes, allowing some natural crumbling for texture variation.
5. Drizzle the potato cubes with pickle juice, ensuring each piece is lightly coated. Allow the potatoes to absorb the tangy liquid for 30 to 45 minutes at room temperature.
6. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together sour cream, mayonnaise, finely chopped pickles, ranch seasoning mix, Dijon mustard, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper until the dressing becomes smooth and well-integrated.
7. Gently fold the creamy dressing into the marinated potato cubes, ensuring even distribution without mashing the potatoes.
8. Incorporate most of the crispy bacon pieces, shredded cheddar cheese, and thinly sliced green onions into the potato mixture, reserving a small portion for garnishing.
9. Cover the potato salad and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour to allow flavors to meld and develop.
10. Before serving, sprinkle the reserved bacon bits and green onions on top for added crunch and visual appeal.

Notes

• Pickle juice adds a zesty surprise when splashed over warm potatoes, infusing each bite with tangy goodness.
• Russet potatoes crumble perfectly, transforming the salad into a delightful baked potato experience.
• Homemade ranch seasoning elevates the flavor profile, bringing a burst of herby excitement to every forkful.
• Sprinkle generous amounts of cheese, crispy bacon, and green onions to create a loaded potato sensation.
• Overnight refrigeration allows ingredients to mingle and develop deep, mouthwatering flavors that will impress everyone at the table.

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Category: Lunch, Dinner, Snacks
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 8
• Calories: 360 kcal
• Sugar: 3 g
• Sodium: 600 mg
• Fat: 24 g
• Saturated Fat: 9 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Carbohydrates: 30 g
• Fiber: 3 g
• Protein: 9 g
• Cholesterol: 35 mg