This Smoky Spread Makes Potato Salad Even Better

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There are many delicious pairings in the world of food. There's classic peanut butter and jelly, rice and beans, or even bacon and eggs. A time-honored tradition during grilling season, however, is to make easy side dishes that go with your barbecue. What is a backyard cookout without big bowls of pasta salad, baked beans, or everyone's favorite, potato salad? Potato salad is beloved for many reasons — it's easy and cheap to make, feeds a crowd, and can be prepared in a variety of ways. Every family probably has their own signature recipe, too, which every family will declare is perfect. So how does one improve upon perfection? If we may suggest: Stir some bacon jam into your potato salad.

Bacon jam is a smoky and sweet condiment that encompasses all the best things about bacon's flavor. Often prepared with onions and sugar, it cooks into an almost spreadable consistency, great on crackers or as a layer on burgers. Whether your potato salad recipe utilizes the classic mayonnaise or vinegar, the tang of these flavors will be wonderfully complemented by the smoky sweetness of bacon jam.

So how can one achieve this delicious combination at home? Well, it is as easy as preparing your preferred potato salad recipe and classic bacon jam recipe and then combining the two. We recommend starting with a small amount of bacon jam, about one tablespoon, and mixing it up with the potato salad, then tasting to see if you want more. Bacon jam is neutral enough to be matched with whatever kind of potato salad there is. A fan of the classic mayonnaise-based potato salad? In love with the mustard-y, vinegar-y German-style potato salad? Whichever type you enjoy, a bit of bacon jam adds just enough depth from its smokiness, making your potato salad even better.

Not in the mood to make bacon jam from scratch? Store-bought is just fine, and brands like Green Jay Gourmet (found on Amazon) are well-reviewed. Other brands available in stores often have other ingredients mixed in, like hot peppers, maple syrup, and even bourbon, which will definitely up the smokiness factor. And while you are at the grocery store, pick yourself up some ready-made potato salad as well to make this dish even easier. Reser's brand potato salad took up two out of the top three spots in our store-bought potato salad rankings, so you know you will be satisfied.