Blue Cheese Is Your Secret For A Flavor-Packed Potato Salad

When it comes to delicious and not overly complicated side dishes, potato salad is a good pick. Plus, there's plenty of versatility in potato salad recipes, meaning even if you make it frequently, you can always find ways to mix it up and give it a unique touch.

One way to add some flair to your potato salad is by adding blue cheese. Blue cheese is tangy and pungent with sharp, salty flavors, although some varieties have sweet notes, too. Its unique burst of flavor pairs particularly well with the mildness of potatoes. What's more, the creaminess of the blue cheese can work well alongside mayonnaise, which is found in many potato salad recipes.

Does this sound like an interesting way to upgrade your favorite recipe? Before you grab your apron and head into the kitchen, there are a few things to consider as you choose your cheese and select a potato salad recipe to feature this special ingredient. Beyond that, you may also want to know what else you can toss into your salad to give it even more flavor.

One of the first things to think about when adding blue cheese to your potato salad is what type of blue cheese you'll use. For instance, try Roquefort, an earthy, funky, and sharp variety, if you're looking for a more powerful punch. On the other hand, if you want something a bit milder, a Danish blue or Gorgonzola may be the better choice.

Another thing to think about is the consistency. Blue cheese comes in either creamy or crumbly varieties. Blue cheese crumbles are present as small chunks throughout your dish, with each morsel giving a pop of flavor; a creamy variety may not be as easy to distribute evenly throughout your salad.

Finally, moving beyond the cheese, think about what type of potato salad you want to prepare. If you prefer a creamy potato salad, consider bathing your ingredients in a rich blue cheese dressing. Alternatively, try a chunkier, grilled potato salad with blue cheese chunks throughout. Either way, you'll still get that zing of tanginess in your meal.

Making your potato salad with blue cheese is the tip of the iceberg when trying to find ways to upgrade this side. You can add other ingredients that complement this unique cheese's sharp, pungent flavors.

For instance, blue cheese works well with fruits like apples and pears. Adding diced chunks of fruit to your potato salad will impart a hint of sweetness to the savory mixture. Or, for a choice that embraces the holiday spirit, consider throwing some dried cranberries into your salad. Another route is to include chopped nuts, which can lend your salad a bit of crunch.

Moving away from fruit and nuts, another classic blue cheese pairing is bacon; the saltiness from bacon works well to balance the rich creaminess and tanginess of the cheese. With all these suggestions, you'll undoubtedly find a way to upgrade this humble side dish — and experimenting is all part of the fun.