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20140906-IMG_2575If you follow No Spoon Necessary, you are aware I am a HUGE fan of hot sauce. If you have been to my house and peered into my pantry and felt overwhelmed, you KNOW me saying I am a huge fan of hot sauce (or condiments in general) is an understatement.

PicMonkey Collage 3Frank’s Buffalo Hot Sauce is a ‘go-to’ of mine. Well, let’s be honest… Cholula, Sriracha and Tabasco are also among my favorite spicy men liquid delights. I just can’t help myself. A little drizzle here, a small dab there, a few dollops everywhere. I add hot sauce to everything. I have even added it to the cream cheese on my bagel… just for $h!ts and giggles. It was good by the way. 😉

PicMonkey Collage 4Therefore, I am ALWAYS looking for a new way to incorporate my favorite sauces into some staple dishes. I have been craving some crispy potato wedges ever since I saw the Serious Eats Food Lab article on ultra-crispy roast potatoes. The other day, I happened to see some Yukon Gold’s on sale at my local grocery store… of course calling out my name:  “Cheyanne…. You must make me NOW. And you must drizzle me with hot sauce!”

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I caved. Threw that 5 pound bag in my cart and kept rolling along, thinking, “Hmmm what shall I do with you little lovelys?’’  Obviously I am going to make you crispy. Obviously I am going to make you spicy.” I kept rolling on when I saw the culinary light. Crumbled blue cheese on sale. I swear light bulbs were going off, strobe light style, all around me.

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Buffalo Bacon Blue Cheese Potato Salad. Crispy. Bacony (because everything is better with bacon). Cheesy. Creamy. Must. Have. Now!

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I’ve never pushed my grocery cart with such determination before. Okay, that’s a lie. But you get the point. I was super excited to get in the kitchen and work some hot sauced, crispy potato magic.

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I essentially wanted it to taste like a buffalo chicken wing platter. With crispy potatoes replacing the crispy wings, and with the addition of bacon of course. Who could resist adding bacon? Aside from pescetarians, vegetarians, and vegans. If you fall into one of those crazy categories (like I used to) simply omit the bacon and coat the potatoes in extra virgin olive oil instead of liquid gold bacon fat.

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I’m calling this potato salad a complete buffalo remix success. It has all the bells and whistles of a buffalo wing platter minus the carrot sticks (I just thought that would taste weird, but feel free to add it), plus some yummy extras.

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Seriously good things are going on with this potato salad people, you simply MUST make this. Enough chit chat. Grab your buddy Frank, Buffalo and whip up this crispy buffalo bacon blue potato salad.

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-xoxo-

Cheyanne

Buffalo Bacon Blue Potato Salad

5 from 1 vote
Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 35-40 minutes Total Time: 55-60 minutes Yield: Roughly 7 Cups Servings: 4-6

Ingredients 

  • 2 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes (about 8-10 potatoes) – rinsed and cut into 1- 1 ½’’ cubes/pieces (can substitute Russet Potatoes*)
  • 1 TBS White Vinegar
  • 2 TBS Kosher Salt
  • 2 TBS Bacon Fat , strained** (warmed if using bacon fat you have on hand stored in your refrigerator)
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • ½ tsp Black Pepper
  • ½ tsp Garlic Powder
  • 10 Strips of Bacon – cooked , crumbled and bacon grease reserved for potatoes**
  • 3 small Shallots – finely diced
  • 2 Cloves of Garlic – minced
  • 4 oz . Blue Cheese – crumbled (about 1 cup)
  • 2 oz . Cheddar Cheese – grated (about ½ cup)
  • ¼ Cup Mayonnaise
  • ¼ Cup Sour Cream
  • 2 large Stalks of Celery , leaves removed – small dice
  • Heaping ¼ cup Chives – thinly sliced
  • 2 TBS + 1 ½ tsp Buffalo Hot Sauce (preferably Franks Buffalo Hot Sauce)
  • ¼ tsp Celery Salt
  • 1/8 tsp Salt
  • 1/8 tsp Ground Black Pepper

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 500°F. Place a large baking sheet in the oven as it preheats. Do not prepare the baking sheet with aluminum foil, as it will hinder the potatoes from becoming fully crisp.
  • Place potatoes in a large saucepot and cover with cold water by 1-inch. Add salt (2 TBS) and vinegar (1 TBS). Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to a simmer, and cook until exteriors are tender, about 5 minutes. Potatoes should show a slight resistance when poked with a paring knife or toothpick.
  • Drain potatoes and transfer to a large bowl.
  • Add bacon fat to the bowl with potatoes. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Toss gently until the potatoes are evenly coated with bacon fat.
  • Spread potatoes evenly on a hot baking sheet.
  • Roast on top rack 10 minutes, rotate and drop to lower rack 10 minutes. Flip. Continue roasting 7-10 minutes on top rack. Rotate pan and transfer it back to the lower rack to finish roasting 7-10 minutes. Transfer potatoes to a bowl.
  • Toss with minced shallot and garlic while potatoes are still hot. Set aside and allow to cool slightly.
  • Meanwhile, combine remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
  • Add roasted potatoes to the large mixing bowl and gently toss to thoroughly combine.
  • Taste and adjust seasoning.
  • Serve immediately and enjoy.

Notes

*You can substitute red potatoes or fingerling potatoes, however you will not achieve the same amount of crispy deliciousness after roasting the potatoes due to the difference in starch content.
-Easy, foolproof way to cook bacon in the oven: Prepare a baking sheet with aluminum foil (for easy clean up) and place a wire rack insert on top. Lay slices of bacon on wire rack, being sure not to overlap them (touching is fine). Adjust an oven rack to the lower 1/3 position in your oven. Add pan of bacon to COOL oven and set oven to 400 degrees F. Cook for 15-20 minutes, or until bacon is of desired crispness. Remove bacon from rack and drain on paper towels. Strain the bacon grease into a container with a tight fitting lid and keep in the refrigerator. Bacon grease is the equivalent of liquid gold!
-The potato salad will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, however you will lose the crispness of the potatoes. The potato consistency will be similar to a ‘traditional’ potato salad.
-Potato cooking method slightly adapted from Serious Eats

Did you make this recipe?

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