Potato salad, a staple at summer barbecues and picnics, often suffers from an overly creamy texture when store-bought due to excessive mayonnaise. Recipe developer and author Melissa Knific shared a simple two-ingredient upgrade that transforms any shop-bought potato salad.
The Two-Ingredient Upgrade
Knific, writing for Simply Recipes, explained that while store-bought potato salad has improved, it can still taste flat, be overdressed, and lack texture. Her solution involves adding crispy bacon and reserved bacon fat, plus a splash of vinegar.
"Bacon makes any dish sing," Knific said, emphasizing that smoked bacon works best as it mirrors the grilled items often served with potato salad. Cook the bacon until peak crispiness for both flavor and texture, then chop into small pieces. Reserve the bacon grease and stir a small amount into the salad.
Vinegar to Balance Creaminess
The second upgrade is vinegar—white, sherry, or cider vinegar. "It adds life to a product that has spent days sitting on a supermarket shelf, and it helps balance the rich and often overly creamy side," Knific noted. Start with one teaspoon of vinegar, adding more as needed. Lemon juice can substitute if vinegar is unavailable.
This simple hack enhances flavor and texture, making store-bought potato salad taste homemade.
