The following “CHEW THIS!” column originally appeared in “The Courier-Times” and / or “The Shelbyville News” as well as other publications. Check their websites for further information or write to me for more details as to where this can be viewed.

Terry Vickery’s Hot Potato Salad 

Growing up, both of my Grandma’s, when boiling potatoes, would boil them “in their jackets” before peeling and dicing or mashing. I never really understood why and honestly, I still have no idea. The best I can guess is that that is what their Mother’s did when showing them to cook, so they carried on doing what they had been taught? There is a couple of theories, other than the one I just said, that I think may have lead to this. One, some people say that if you boil the potatoes with their skins on, it helps the potatoes keep most of the vitamins and minerals. Two, some people also say that leaving the jackets on, causes the potatoes to not soak up as much water when boiling. I, on the other hand, do not like peeling potatoes anyways and if I am going to, I am positively not going to wait until they are too hot to touch and make the mission worse. The potato is hot, the skin is not firm and my knife skills are not the best, therefore, no thanks. 

No matter how you peel your potatoes, I am going to highly recommend you try this recipe! It is delicious. My friend and fellow columnist here at the paper, Kevin Vickery, made this dish and served it at his Easter dinner and I knew I had to right away get the recipe. I loved it! The bacon and the olives on top only add to the delicious overall flavor. I will say that you may notice it calls for red potatoes in the recipe. Can you use regular, golden or white potatoes? Sure. However, I always have heard that if you are adding any meat to the actual potatoes, red potatoes is the way you will want to go. Kevin got this recipe from his late Mother, Terry, who would make it for special occasions. I say, with the state of the World right now, make every day a special occasion! Why wait? Make this tonight! Trust me, you will love it. 

Terry Vickery’s Hot Potato Salad

Leftovers should be kept covered and chilled. Leftovers will last 5 days. To reheat, do so in a low microwave or a medium oven. 

8-10 red potatoes, cooked in skin, then peeled and cubed

1 medium onion, diced

1 cup mayonnaise 

1 pound Velveeta cheese, diced

1 pound bacon, fried and crumbled

1/2 cup sliced olives

Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large bowl combine the prepared potatoes with the diced onion, mayonnaise and prepared cheese. 

Pour this mixture evenly into the prepared pan.

Sprinkle the top with the crumbled bacon and sliced olives.

Bake, in preheated oven, for 1 hour.

Remove, allow to cool slightly before serving. 

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