Food and Recipes Side Dishes Potato Side Dishes Hot Potato Salad 2.5 (2) 2 Reviews Hot potato salad is proof this side dish doesn't need to be chilled to be outstanding. By Pam Lolley and Robby Melvin Updated on April 15, 2024 Recipe tested by Southern Living Test Kitchen Recipe tested by Southern Living Test Kitchen The Southern Living Test Kitchen has been publishing recipes since 1970, four years after the first issue of Southern Living Magazine appeared on newsstands. The Southern Living Test Kitchen team includes a team of professionals with deep expertise in recipe development, from pastry chefs and grilling experts to nutritionists and dietitians. Together, the team tests and retests, produces, styles, and photographs thousands of recipes each year in the state-of-the-art test kitchen facility located in Birmingham, Alabama. Learn more about the Southern Living Test Kitchen Rate PRINT Share Trending Videos Close this video player Hot Potato Salad. Photo: Helen Norman; Styling: Carrie Purcell Total Time: 2 hrs Servings: 6 to 8 Thought potato salad was just a chilled dish for outdoor picnics and summertime family reunions? We'd like to introduce you to Hot Potato Salad. Former Southern Living Test Kitchen Director Robby Melvin shared this recipe from his grandmother Jackie Freeman's personal collection. In our opinion, it's a heavenly marriage of the best parts of a classic potato salad and creamy, cheesy gratin. One bite and you'll understand why this unexpected casserole is a new favorite on holiday tables throughout the South. Before you know it, this casserole might steal the show from those homemade mashed potatoes Cousin Betsy brings year after year. Who needs gravy when you can have a plate full of potato salad with bacon, cheese, and salty, briny olives? For this hot potato salad recipe, just one step will require a little planning ahead. Be sure to set the cheese in the freezer for at least 45 minutes before you begin to grate. This will ensure that the cheese grates easily and that the casserole will have the best possible texture after baking. Ingredients 1 lb. processed cheese (such as Velveeta) 8 baking potatoes (about 4 lb.) 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise 1 cup half-and-half 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion 1 cup sliced pimiento-stuffed Spanish olives Vegetable cooking spray 6 bacon slices, cut into 2-inch pieces Directions Chill cheese: Freeze cheese 45 minutes to 1 hour. Cook potatoes: Meanwhile, cook potatoes in boiling water to cover 25 to 30 minutes or until tender; drain and cool completely. Cube potatoes: Peel potatoes, and cut into 1-inch cubes. Grate cheese: Grate frozen cheese, using large holes of a box grater. Mix ingredients: Preheat oven to 325°F. Whisk together mayonnaise and half-and-half in a large bowl. Stir in onion, olives, potatoes, and cheese until blended. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add potato salad to baking dish: Spoon into a 13- x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with bacon pieces. Bake, then broil: Bake at 325°F for 55 minutes. Increase oven temperature to broil, and broil 5 minutes or until bacon is crisp. Let stand 5 minutes. Rate It Print