OK, so who doesn’t like potato salad? Well, as it turns out, lots of people don’t like traditional potato salad. And for more reasons than I care to enumerate on this post. But those of us who love old fashioned potato salad could argue that any potato salad worth its calories must have certain ingredients. For me those ingredients include celery, dill, onion, mustard, and of course mayonnaise! Lots of mayonnaise! But old fashioned potato salad is crazy full of calories. So in keeping with my desire to eat healthier, without forgoing every food I hold near and dear, I decided to go on a quest for a reduced fat replacement. Of course, my favorite ingredients are all in my new version, except the mayonnaise of course. But olive oil replaces the mayonnaise beautifully. (I can only go so far when I change things up, so even though green onions replace a white onion, and a bit of dill weed replaces the dill pickles, the basic flavor is still there.)

I created a potato salad that was better for me, while still containing the ingredients that I would argue in front of the Supreme Court, were mandatory in a great potato salad! (I’m certain Clarence Darrow would agree! He was known for taking on cases that were sure to be hard fought!)

Anyway, after looking at many recipes on the internet, I came up with this combination of ingredients. And if truth be known, I almost prefer my new potato salad to my old standby (on this site BTW – under Old Fashioned Potato Salad).

So I am going to leave the decision up to you. You can either prepare a potato salad that, in my estimation is the best potato salad ever invented (Old Fashioned Potato Salad) or this recipe which is healthier, but contains ingredients that, although not low calorie, are not as caloric as my old favorite. (And yes, I know. It’s almost cheating to include blue cheese and bacon in the ingredient list. Because, after all, who doesn’t like blue cheese and bacon?)

• 2 lbs. good sized red potatoes, cut into quarters (don’t peel the potatoes)
• ¼ c. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 T. white vinegar
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• ¼ tsp. dill weed
• ½ tsp. seasoned salt
• freshly ground black pepper  
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 3-4 oz. blue cheese, crumbled
• 5-6 slices bacon, chopped and cooked until crisp

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, cool to touch, and cut into small bite sized pieces. 

While the potatoes cook, in a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, dill weed, seasoned salt, and pepper. Add the slightly warm potatoes; toss to coat. When the potatoes are completely cool, stir in the green onions, celery, and blue cheese. Refrigerate for a couple of hours to blend flavors. Remove from refrigerator about 30 minutes before you plan to serve. Stir in the bacon and adjust the seasoning just before serving.