Make Your Potato Salad Way More Flavorful With A Caesar Salad Twist

Potato salad is an easy side dish that requires only a few ingredients beyond potatoes and mayonnaise. Of course, seasonings are encouraged, but in most cases you can add flavor to this dish just by using what's already in your spice cabinet. The potatoes matter, too, so before you even decide on additional flavors and textures, you have to start with the right potatoes. The starchier the better here, since starchy potatoes absorb dressing well to give you a creamier salad. Russet and Idaho potatoes are your best bet.

Once you have your potatoes, you can take the salad in any direction, but if you're looking for a simple alternative to typical mayonnaise that comes with built-in flavor to make things easy, then don't sleep on Caesar salad dressing. It's the condiment you didn't know you needed here — and you can take things a step further by roasting your potatoes in it, too.

It's hard to hate on a Caesar salad. The dressing has a rich, savory, umami flavor thanks to elements like mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, and anchovies (yes, in many recipe iterations, these little fish play a big role in making the dressing delicious), and it can make any sandwich or salad taste better. But Caesar dressing goes a long way on potato salad, too. If you're roasting the potatoes, toss them in some Caesar dressing before you even cook them. As they cook, that fatty mayo-based dressing will caramelize in the oven, building a crispy coating on the potatoes while sealing in that savory flavor.

Once the potatoes are done, forget about tossing them in mayo. Instead, toss them in more Caesar dressing. Since the dressing itself has so much flavor, using Caesar instead of mayo saves you the hassle of chopping up additional herbs and spices.

When it comes to building the best Caesar potato salad, think of it as if you were making a regular Caesar salad but just swapping the lettuce for potatoes. Keep the ingredients the same; add bacon for a little crisp, plus some grated Parmesan to get that Caesar salad flavor. You can also add a hint of crunchy zest with some sliced red onion.

Roasting the potatoes instead of boiling them is a great way to build on the dish's texture, but you can also smash them for an even crispier potato dish. Boil the potatoes first to soften them, then press them on a sheet pan with the underside of a glass, which will flatten them out. (Tip: Add parchment paper between the pan and the potatoes so they don't stick.) From there, brush with the Caesar dressing and roast for another fun spin on classic potato salad.