Alternative Potato Salad

Confession: I don’t like potato salad.

I know I know I’m sorry…I just can’t get into it.

The individual ingredients each have delicious potential:

Potatoes are awesome. Always.

I appreciate and respect mayonnaise for what it’s got goin’ on.  Sometimes it’s really just necessary.

Vinegar, green onions, maybe some hard boiled egg…ok fine. I’m with you.  Sounds great.

For some reason, though, their powers combined just don’t thrill me.

I know it’s weird.  I’m always left out with my potato salad-less plate at picnics and barbecues each summer.  It’s cool, though.  I have found an alternative and I am head over heels in love!! (With a pile of potatoes? No one said it made sense.)

This nonsense I’m about to throw at you looks nothing like the potato salad at every picnic since the dawn of time.

It’s roasty, spicy, smoky, hint of sweet…I’m amazed.  Please let me share!

For this potato salad you’re going to chop a lot of things into circles.  Ready? Begin.

Roasting works magic.

This:

Becomes this:

This:

Becomes this:

Roasty rounds and caramelized onions…things already look good!

Oh but we’re not done yet…

Some of those roasted jalapenos hang out with some olive oil, some vinegar and some sugar.

Just some casual roasted jalapeno vinaigrette creation.  No big deal.  Then I got a little crazy and this guy got involved:

That is an ancho chile pepper.

It has an awesome sweet heat that played off of the jalapeno and the vinegar just right.  Plus it turned the whole thing yellow/orange to match the sweet potatoes.  Meant to be!

Now, at this point I was getting pretty excited thanks to the ridiculous smells in my kitchen…so in my attempt to dress the salad, I spilled the vinaigrette everywhere.  Just warning you of potential hazards.

Potato salad shish kabob? Yes, please.

You need this potato salad update in your life.  I need some company in this sweet n’ spicy bliss.  Together we’ve got it made.  Happy cookout/picnic season!

Enjoy!

❤ Ellen

Alternative Potato Salad

Recipe adapted from this Better Homes and Gardens recipe

For the potato salad:

2 large sweet potatoes, cut into 1/4 inch disks
2 sweet onions, thinly sliced
4 jalapeno peppers, roasted (425 degrees F for 20 minutes or until skins start to brown), divided
[**2 jalapenos, chopped, for the salad, 2 get pureed into the vinaigrette]
Olive oil (enough for a thin coating before roasting)
Salt n’ pepper (to taste)

For the vinaigrette:

1/2 cup rice vinegar (or 3 parts white vinegar & 1 part water)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 dried ancho chile pepper
2 roasted jalapenos
1 clove of garlic, peeled
1/3 cup olive oil
Salt, pepper, cilantro to taste

1. While the oven preheats to 425 degrees F, put your thinly sliced onions in a pan with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium to low heat. They are gonna hang out in there until they are soft and caramel color…low and slow is the key here.

3.  Arrange jalapenos on a baking sheet so that there is plenty of room between peppers.  Roast for 20 minutes total, flipping after 10 minutes.

2. Toss the potatoes with enough olive oil to thinly coat, salt and pepper to taste.  Arrange the potatoes on a baking sheet so that they are not touching.  Roast for about 15 minutes, flip then roast another 10 minutes.  The potatoes should be soft and just starting to brown.

3. In a blender, combine 2 of the roasted jalapenos, the ancho chile pepper, vinegar, oil, sugar, garlic, salt, pepper and cilantro.

4. Toss the potatoes, the remaining 2 jalapenos (chopped) and the caramelized onions with the vinaigrette in a large bowl to serve