Healthier Bacon Ranch Potato Salad

Easy to make ahead and so perfect for a summer side dish my Lightened Up Bacon Ranch Potato Salad is sure to delight. Packed with yummy ranch seasoning, yogurt, bacon, and cheddar cheese you won’t even notice that this potato salad has no mayo!

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This post was updated 6/14/2021 to include new photos and clarified writing, recipe remains the same.

Mayo-Free Bacon Ranch Potato Salad

Not only does this potato salad have no mayonnaise but this flavor packed potato salad ditches the ranch dressing as well!

So I call this Healthier Bacon Ranch Potato Salad. So When I say healthier it is such a subjective term right?! But since I ditch the mayo and dressing I feel like I could call it that. It still contains delicious bacon and cheddar cheese but I did leave out the mayo and swap it out with healthier yogurt.

Why is this ‘healthier‘?

• Ditching the mayonnaise it the first step, one cup of mayonnaise tops out at 1,440 calories. For those of you keeping track at home that is 72% of one persons recommended daily calories. Not that you would sit and eat of full cup of mayonnaise but that still packs quite the punch.
• Ditching the sour cream, while sour cream is still better then mayonnaise, with less then half of the calories then mayonnaise, sour cream tops off at 480 calories a cup.
• So we conclude with plain yogurt, a cup of plain yogurt is only 160 calories! What!? And that is for a cup of whole milk plain yogurt (which I prefer), if you wanted to use low fat greek yogurt, that would average out at 130 calories.

So yes by staying away from mayonnaise or even sour cream I pronounce this, Healthier Bacon Ranch Potato Salad.

Now looking past what makes this ‘healthier’ lets look at what else/how easy this Bacon Ranch Potato Salad. Baby red potatoes are cooked, a few strips of bacon are fried, yogurt is mixed with ranch seasoning, it is all combined with green onions and cheddar cheese, boom done. The Bacon Ranch Potato Salad will need to chill in the refrigerator and then it is ready to serve.

Ingredients

I like this recipe for the simplicity, nothing out of the ordinary here, just a handful of real ingredients.

• Baby Red Potatoes
• Bacon
• Green Onions
• Shredded Cheddar
• Plain Yogurt (any fat content works here, in a pinch greek yogurt can also be used)
• Ranch Seasoning

For a complete detailed list of the ingredients continue towards the bottom of the page.

Instructions

In a large pot add the whole baby potatoes and cover the with cold water and add a pinch of salt. Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once the pot is boiling let cook for 15-20 minutes until potatoes are fully cooked and easily cut.

Remove the potatoes from the water and set aside to cool, if you are in a hurry, rinse under cold water to cool faster.

While the potatoes are cooling, fry the bacon over medium heat 5-8 minutes until crispy. Set bacon aside on a paper towel lined plate to cool.

In a large bowl add yogurt and ranch seasoning, stir to combine.

Once potatoes are cool enough to handle, carefully cut each potato into quarters. Add the cut potatoes to the large bowl with the yogurt and ranch seasoning.

Now crumble the bacon into the bowl. Add the cheddar cheese and sliced green onion.

Toss everything together. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. Enjoy!

Tips, Tricks, & Questions:

• I like to use plain yogurt, but greek will work too, it might just be a thicker consistency. Stonyfield Organic, Smooth & Creamy Whole Milk Plain is my favorite yogurt.
• I like to use my Homemade Ranch Seasoning but store bought will work as well.

Make it a Meal: Potato Salad such as this Bacon Ranch Potato Salad is such a classic summer side dish. I would pair this side with a classic grilled meal like my Prosciutto Pesto Burger or Barbecued Chicken. Add in some Corn on the Cob and finish with some Grilled Apple Crisp for absolute perfection.

If you like my Healthy Bacon Ranch Potato Salad you might also like:

• The Best Marinated & Grilled Vegetables
• Grilled Artichokes Recipe
• Easy Tabbouleh Salad
• Crispy Oven Roasted Baby Potatoes
• Pesto Grilled Carrots

And make sure you are following me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for all the latest recipes!

Peace & Love

Lauren, The Schmidty Wife

P.S. Looking for more summer salads? Check out my Two Bean Mediterranean Salad or my Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad with Strawberries, Apple, & Bacon.