Blue Cheese Is The Bold Way To Elevate Your Next Batch Of Potato Salad

There are so many recipes for potato salad made with various ingredients, dressings, and types of spuds that it's impossible to list them all here. Perhaps you have a family recipe that's been served at cookouts and holiday gatherings for generations, or you're keen to a modern twist on the side dish after listening to your favorite food influencer. Despite what recipe you choose for your next batch, blue cheese is one of the more unlikely ingredients that can elevate potato salad with its bold and funky (in a good way) flavors. 

Blue cheese is soft and creamy, so it combines well with the other ingredients common in potato salad, such as mayonnaise. The cheese offers a salty and pungent flavor that's hard to replicate, and it will thoroughly infuse the dish with its unique notes. There are several different varieties of blue cheese to choose from, like Roquefort (if you enjoy stronger flavors), Gorgonzola for a milder taste, or other types like Blue Stilton and Cambozola. All of them will complement potato salad, so it really just depends on how bold you want the flavors to be. No matter what kind you choose, pick a block of cheese to crumble up yourself to get the freshest flavors.

The amount of blue cheese you'll need largely depends on the potato salad's other ingredients and how many servings you want to prepare. For five servings of a traditional potato salad, 1 to 2 ounces of blue cheese should be enough. Meanwhile, some recipes call for up to 3 ounces of freshly crumbled blue cheese — a good option if you want its stronger flavors to come through in the potato salad. Start by making the base of wetter and creamier ingredients like mayonnaise, then fold the cheese in with the potatoes and other dry ingredients. This ensures that it doesn't break up into pieces that are too small during mixing.

Because of the contrasting texture and added umami from the pork, blue cheese pairs well with bacon. So, feel free to add both to your next bowl of potato salad. Other ingredients like celery, red onion, and scallions offer even more flavors and textures that contrast with the creamy, soft cheese. If you don't already have a go-to recipe, consider Tasting Table's creamy dill potato salad made with fresh dill and lemon juice, or test the ingredient swap with our classic Southern potato salad recipe. The funky blue cheese will work with pretty much any potato salad variation — so long as you don't mind its bold and unique flavor profile.