Grilled Potato Salad

Potato salad is a go-to way to round out any main dish — no matter what time of year you’re cooking. Think of potato salad as you do grilled chicken or a pizza. It is a blank canvas that can be customized to your family’s tastes or whatever ingredients you happen to have on hand. Plus, because every potato salad starts with — of course — the humble spud, most recipes are economical and can be stretched when you’re cooking for a large group. Check out Food Network’s top-five potato salads below to find classic and creative renditions from some of your favorite chefs: Melissa, Ree, Ina, Bobby and Alton.

Grilled Potato Salad — This recipe is courtesy of Melissa d’Arabian for Food Network Magazine.  After grilling both red and sweet potatoes, she tosses the spuds in a bold, indulgent dressing made with bacon renderings.

Ingredients
• 7 small to medium red potatoes, scrubbed and quartered
• 1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Bacon-Green Onion Vinaigrette, recipe follows
• Bacon-Green Onion Vinaigrette:
• 1 slice bacon, cut into lardons
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 green onions, chopped
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Preheat the grill.
Place the red potatoes in a large saucepan and fill with cold water, covering the potatoes by 2 inches. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Once the water begins to boil, about 8 minutes, add the sweet potatoes. Return to boil and cook for 8 more minutes. Drain the potatoes and set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, onion and garlic powders, cayenne and some salt and pepper. When the potatoes are cool to the touch, toss them in the mayonnaise mixture and stir gently to coat.
Using tongs, place the potato pieces on the hot grill, and cook on all sides long enough to make grill marks, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Handle gently so they don’t fall apart.
In a large bowl, place the Bacon-Green Onion Vinaigrette. As the potatoes are cooked through, remove them from the grill and place the hot potatoes in the bowl with the dressing. Gently toss the potatoes in the dressing to coat completely and serve, warm or cold.

Bacon-Green Onion Vinaigrette:
In a small saute pan, cook the bacon until crisp. Then set aside to cool. Once cooled, pour the bacon and fat into a small bowl along with the olive oil.
In another small bowl, whisk together the vinegar and mustard. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil-bacon mixture, whisking to emulsify. Add the parsley, green onions and salt and pepper to taste, and whisk to blend.

Total Time: 35 min, Prep: 15 min, Cook: 20 min
Yield: 4 servings; Level: Easy