This Creamy Addition To Regular Potato Salad Gives It Loud Flavor

Recipes for diverse and unique potato salads are not in short supply, but many (we'd go so far as to say "most") potato salads are held together by mayo, no matter what else happens to go in the bowl. And the truth is that some folks just loathe mayo, regardless of the preparation. We're always especially keen to find potato salads that don't use mayo or at least minimize its presence — adding the Italian sauce pesto for great flavor is a banger, for instance. But we're here to tell you not to sleep on cream cheese. This spread is great for more than just bagels; it's a richer, bolder ingredient that adds great cohesion to almost any potato salad while maintaining the same creamy smoothness as mayo.

We previously discussed cream cheese as a mayo swap for sandwiches, and similar benefits apply here. Compared to jarred mayo, high-quality cream cheese has a fresher profile and an unbeatable savor that will make your 'taters sing. The key point to keep in mind is that the cream cheese ought to be softened and thinned before you can successfully mix it into the dish. You can soften cream cheese fast in the microwave if you don't remember to leave it out on the counter, while the thinning medium is up to you — some folks will use milk, some will use water, and others will get the best of both worlds by incorporating just a dollop of mayo for smoothness. If you also feature mustard or vinegar in your sauce, know that these condiments can have a thinning effect as well.

Sure, you can swap cream cheese for mayo in a regular, old potato salad bowl that includes some mustard, celery, egg, and paprika, but why stop there? The biggest appeal of cream cheese in potato salad is flavor, and we argue that you'd be remiss to overlook the possibilities. How about a loaded potato salad that calls to mind all the things you love about a stuffed baked potato, like fresh-grated sharp cheddar cheese, piquant green onion, and meaty chunks of crisp bacon? Get extra tangy up in there and stir some sour cream into your softened cream cheese, then serve warm or cold! 

We can also see another cream cheese-forward dish, a Sunday bagel, given the potato salad treatment with the addition of slivered lox, capers, and diced red onion to the bowl. Or you could spin your salad in a craveable direction by incorporating powdered ranch dressing mix into your softened and thinned cream cheese — this will really zing up a potato salad that's heavy on the veggie inclusions.

The next time a loved one wrinkles their nose at the BBQ menu because they can't stand mayo, know that you have an ace up your sleeve ... a versatile substitute that blends into almost any preexisting recipe. Even better, cream cheese actually beats the pants off mayo when it comes to adding flavor! We actually can't think of a good reason not to add cream cheese to our salads, especially considering that most of us already have it in the fridge.