Cheddar Cheese Potato Salad - 52 Side Dishes - Do Ahead

Backyard BBQ and Potato Salad... goes together like Mom's Apple Pie and... well anything goes with Mom's Apple pie.

But there are reasons why many BBQ parties have potato salad as a side dish.  First of course it is delicious.  Warm or cold, German or Asian, Mustard based (like this one) or flavored with a salad dressing... Dress it up with Bacon, Beans, Corn, Pickles, Tomatoes... Well, you get the idea.  Plenty of ways to make a potato salad.

This recipe is among my favorites.  The cheese adds a wonderful taste, sharp and ... well, cheesy.  This is a rare recipe for me that actually calls for a name brand item.  McCormick brand Perfect Pitch Roasted garlic & Bell Peppers Salad Sprinkles.  A friend shared a version of this recipe with me and insisted on this blend.  Well, it works perfect.  Plenty of seasonings and a wonderful reddish tinge that adds flavor and contrasting beauty to the salad.  You certainly can substitute a variety of your favorite seasonings.  You can get a similar look by using paprika.  But honestly, this is perfect with the prepackaged mix... Give it a try!

As to this recipe... It is a winner in every sense.  Always popular whenever I serve it.  has all the classic ingredients, yellow mustard, hard cooked eggs and onions.  But it gets all dressed up with the Salad Sprinkle, the Sharp Cheddar, Red Skinned potatoes (leave the skin on, better for you but also adds to the beauty).  It also gets a zippy addition with a dollop of BBQ sauce.

And, one hint about mixing potato salad... Do it in stages, I mix about 1/4th of the potatoes with a fourth of the goo, and then repeat until it is gone.  This insures a complete mix without mixing so much that the potatoes begin to disintegrate.  Makes a better looking, better tasting salad.

OK... Here's what I did...

Cheddar Cheese
Potato Salad

Ingredients

• 5 Pounds Red Skinned Potatoes, Large Dice, cooked until fork tender
• 8 Ounces Sharp Cheddar Cheese, freshly Grated
• 4 Hard Cooked Eggs, Chopped
• 1 Medium Red Onion, Chopped
• 4 TBS Chopped Chives, divided, 3 TBS in mix, reserve 1 TBS for Garnish
• 3 TBS Salad Sprinkle, McCormick brand, divided 2 TBS in the taters, 1 TBS as garnish
• 3 TBS Yellow Mustard
• 1-1/2 Cups Mayonnaise
• 1/2 Cup Sour Cream
• 1 TBS Spicy BBQ Sauce of your Choice

Cooking Directions

1. Cook the potatoes til just done, cool immediately.
2. Combine all the other ingredients (be sure to reserve some of the spices as toppings/garnish) into your kitchenaid mixer and mix on low for about three minutes.
3. While the potatoes are still warm, mix in about 1/4 of the potatoes and 1/4 of the goo in a serving bowl. Then add about 1/2 the remaining potatoes and goo, mix that layer, then the final layer.
4. Cool in the refrigerator for at least three hours prior to serving, preferably over night for all the flavors to mix mingle and influence.
5. Just prior to serving, garnish with chives and salad sprinkle
6. Serve Chilled and ENJOY!

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This recipe has been added to my growing list of "52 Church PotLuck Dishes"!

A list of something NEW worthy of being shown off at a neighborhood BYODish (Bring Your Own Dish) Party, a Family special occasion dinner, Any Big Holiday Gathering or of course that glorious day when you bring a dish to share with your Church family...

Ages ago, literally almost a half century ago I was listening to our pastor talking about a PotLuck Dinner. It happened to be scheduled around a church work day when we were expected to weed, polish and do general cleaning and maintenance around the church (you know, back in the day when there were no no-wax floors and church pews smelled of Old English furniture polish). I am of course paraphrasing, but as I recall the pastor said,

"A potluck, like a church requires work. At a potluck everyone is expected to contribute.. At a church no one should come empty handed and no one should leave unfed".

I will confess that in my youth I brought more store bought plastic spoons and forks than I ever brought covered dishes and crock pots of fresh made love and caring delights. But now that I have become a hobbyist cook, I occasionally am reminded of those days and people from my youth. I reminded and I do wish that I could drop a dish of some new creation on those old tables at my fondly remembered Liberty Baptist Church.  Tables covered with newspapers and loaded with God's bounty prepared with love and caring... Enjoy

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I am also pleased to list this as one of my Growing list of  "52 Grilling Time Secret Extras" or "52 Ways to Cook BBQ and Grilling Recipes"!!!

Well over 52 recipes actually as I just can't stop... Over 100 in one grilling season (I love to grill!). But not just leat... Drinks, Condiments (LOTS of different BBQ sauces), Drinks, Desserts... even specialty items like GRILLED Pizza, and fun shaped Watermelons.  Easy and these ideas will make you the MASTER of your Backyard Domain!

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