Schultz’s Gourmet Hot Sauce is one of my new favorite condiments. It makes a fabulous potato salad if you like things on the spicy side.  This is basically Schultz’s recipe, but I’ve adapted it to my taste and found a few shortcuts for my one-butt kitchen.

On my small motorhome cooktop, I have a hard time dedicating two burners — one each for bacon and potatoes — to make the potato salad, especially if I’m cooking other dishes as well.  It was that limitation that prompted me to try pre-cooked bacon in this potato salad. Mixed in with the other ingredients, I couldn’t tell much difference. That substitution saved me 10 minutes and one dirty pan. Once I thought I was buying Black Label Fully Cooked Bacon, but I bought Black Label Microwave Ready Bacon instead, which is raw bacon in a microwavable pouch. This was even better and almost as easy.

The second shortcut I’ve tried was to microwave the potatoes instead of boiling them.  They are not quite as creamy as boiled potatoes, but if time and cooktop space are issues, it’s a reasonable alternative.  At home in my two-butt kitchen, I did a taste test at a dinner party to find out which people preferred. I made half a batch with boiled potatoes, the other half with microwaved potatoes. The vote was split, with preferences for both methods. 

Schultz’s products — they make other hot sauces, BBQ sauces, and spice rubs too — are available in Whole Foods, Walmart and King Soopers in Colorado, and in various stores across the US. Look at the store locator on www.schultzsgourmet.com to find one in your area. While you are there, check out other recipes on their website. They look delicious, but I haven’t tried any others yet. If you find one you like, let me know. 

Active time: 15 minutes      

Total time: 40 minutes if you boil the potatoes and cook the bacon, 20 if you take shortcuts by using the microwave

Specialized One-Butt Kitchen Utensils

• nothing special for this one.

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients:

• 1 (1.5-pound) bag baby red or golden potatoes, skin on
• 1 cup (or more to taste) mayonnaise (regular, avocado, olive oil or light mayo)
• 1/2 cup (or more to taste) of Schultz’s Cooking Hot Sauce (Spicy Original or Sweet Heat)
• 1 1/2 cups blue cheese crumbles
• 12 strips (about 3/4 pound raw bacon), cooked and crumbled
• 1/2 small red onion, finely diced 
• 1/3 cup green onions (3 or 4 onions), finely sliced 
• 1 tbsp dry parsley
• 1 tbsp black pepper
• 1 tsp salt or to taste

Directions:

First, decide how you want to cook the potatoes. If you have plenty of time, cut the potatoes in half and boil them for 20 to 25 minutes. Drain the potatoes and rinse them with cool water. Cut them in bite-sized pieces.

If you’d rather microwave them, put bite-sized potatoes in a microwave-safe dish. Add a dash of salt and enough water to cover them. Loosely cover the dish with plastic wrap (or poke holes to allow some venting), then zap them at full power for 4 minutes, stir, and then cook for another 4 minutes. Check to make sure they are tender all the way through, and if not, heat for a couple more minutes. Drain the potatoes and rinse them with cool water.

Mix Schultz’s Gourmet Hot Sauce and mayonnaise before adding the other ingredients. Make sure you like the level of spiciness before you mix it in with the other ingredients.  If it’s too spicy for your taste, add more mayo. If you want it spicier, add more hot sauce. I usually add about 1/2 more mayo, and reserve about 1/2 cup of the mixture for another use. The mayo and hot sauce make a great condiment for grilled cheese sandwiches, but that’s a topic for a future post. 

Prepare the bacon, whether that means cooking raw bacon, or taking a short cut with pre-cooked or microwavable bacon.  Crumble the bacon. 

Place cooked potatoes a large mixing bowl. Reserve some bacon and green onions for a garnish. Add crumbled bacon, crumbled blue cheese, blended mayonnaise, and hot sauce. Toss until mixed and then add onions, parsley, salt, and pepper. Top with reserved bacon and green onions. 

When possible serve immediately, while it’s slightly warm (that’s the way I like it). Otherwise, chill it before serving.