Recipe: Balsamic potato salad - no mayonaise, here! #recipes #cooking

I'm from the South, where potato salad is King at all church potlucks, picnics, and summer barbeques...

... and I hate the stuff!

I just don't like mayonnaise. I avoid it at all costs. But I love tiny Yukon gold potatoes and have been on the hunt for a new recipe that didn't involve mashing them.

And then, last year, I saw a recipe for a smoked potato side dish with olives and red wine vinegar in one of my favorite magazines and I was immediately inspired to come up with this recipe.

Who doesn't love balsamic vinaigrette dressing?

And bacon?

This is my idea of the perfect potato side dish and the best part about it is that it can all be made ahead of time and served at room temperature!

Recipe: Balsamic potato salad

Ingredients
3lbs baby Yukon Gold potatoes (red new potatoes will work well, too)
TIP: try to purchase potatoes that are the same size so they cook evenly 

6 strips bacon, fried crisp and chopped fine
1/4 Cup fresh chives, finely chopped
3 Tablespoons capers OR olives, finely chopped (if you don't like either, eliminate this step)
1/4 Cup extra virgin olive oil
3 Tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon dried celery seed
1/4-1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt (up to your personal tastes)
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Scrub potatoes and place in stockpot. Fill pot with cold water until potatoes are submerged and water is over the potatoes by 2 inches. Place the lid on and set it on your stove and set your burner to high heat. Once the water comes to a rolling boil, carefully remove the lid (watch out for steam!) and add 3 Tablespoons of Kosher salt. Stir and let the potatoes cook until they are tender (poke gently with a toothpick and if it slides in/out easily, they are done!), about 22-24 minutes for golf ball-sized potatoes. Watch them during this time to be sure none split. Remove the individual potatoes that do split as they are overcooked and will crumble when you drain them. Drain the potatoes carefully so they don't split, burst, or get squashed and either let sit to cool to room temperature before storing in the fridge (if you are serving the next day) or place directly in your serving dish.

In a tupperware dish that has a tight-fitting lid, combine the oil, vinegar, Dijon, salt, pepper, celery seed. Shake until completely combined and dressing is smooth. Poor over potatoes to coat, gently stirring if needed.

Sprinkle capers, chives, and bacon over potatoes and serve.