Warm Roasted Potato Salad

 

I tend to give people homemade treats whenever they help me out with something.  Recently a friend did just that, and came through in a really big way for me.  I wanted to make her something really special, so I asked her BFF what her all-time favourite dessert was.  She replied “if you really want to make her something she’ll love, make her a hot potato salad”.  She went on to tell me that our friend always ordered this exact dish at her favourite restaurant in Jasper.  I always love a good challenge, so I was on a mission to re-create it for her.

It’s not often that a recipe comes through exactly right on the very first attempt, but this recipe happened that way.  I made it once, and it was ready to take over to her house.  I was barely out of her driveway when I received a text from her saying “THAT’S SOOOOO GOOD!!!!!!!!!”.  I’ve made it a few times since and it never seems to last long enough to try cold, though I imagine that would be pretty tasty as leftovers too.

Recipe makes 6 side servings

(recipe easily doubles for a crowd)

Ingredients

- 1/2 lb bacon

- 1 kg baby creamer potatoes

- 1 ear of fresh corn

- 3 small shallots (the equivalent to a large onion)

- 3 cloves of garlic

For dressing:

- 1/3 cup real mayonnaise (not miracle whip)

- 1/3 cup sour cream

- 1/4 cup real parmesan cheese

- 1 tbsp lemon juice or white wine vinegar

- 1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped

- fresh pepper to taste

- fresh chives, for garnish

Directions

Place bacon on a silpat (or parchment paper) lined baking sheet being careful to not overlap.  Place bacon in oven, then turn oven on to 425 degrees.  It’s important not to preheat your oven for this step – bacon cooks much better when starting in a cold oven).

Cook bacon for approximately 15 minutes, or until desired crispiness.  Pause to marvel over how awesome it is to cook bacon this way, then vow to make it this way for breakfast from now on if you don’t already.

Once bacon is cooked, remove it from the pan to cool, reserving the bacon grease.  Without wiping the pan, add chopped potatoes, corn, shallots, and whole cloves of garlic (you’ll be removing these at a later step).  Toss ingredients in bacon grease, adding more if necessary until potatoes are lightly coated throughout.

Bake in a pre-heated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until potatoes are crispy.  Be sure to stir halfway through cooking time.

Remove whole gloves of garlic, and mash.   Combine dressing ingredients, and toss in the mashed garlic.   Coat the potatoes with the dressing while the potatoes are still warm.

Serve salad immediately. 

Enjoy!