The Semiconservative Granola Girl

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Gluten-Free German Potato Salad

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I love picnic food: Mac Salad, Deviled Eggs, Carrot Salad, Potato Salad, Coleslaw. All the salads. But ever since I was a kid, my favorite has been German Potato Salad. It is served warm with a vinegar bacon based dressing. I even love the canned stuff. My mom would only make it for special occasions because it’s pretty work intensive. However, I have discovered a hack! So now you can have homemade, easy Gluten-Free German Potato Salad.

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Spilling the Potatoes

I am not going to hold off on telling you the hack because it takes about 4 major steps out of the process. Use canned potatoes. Yup. Canned Potatoes. They are the perfect texture. And, they are already peeled, cooked and sliced. Besides that, you can use some of the reserve liquid from the can to help with the thickening process.

Easy Gluten-Free German Potato Salad is potatoes served warm in a sweet-tart, bacon vinegar dressing. This recipe is gluten-free and adds 2 kitchen hacks for easier preparation.

Gluten-Free German Potato Salad Hack #2

Use very cold and/or partially frozen bacon and cut it before you fry it. Then, you can fry all the bacon at one time. Another huge time saver.

Making Gluten-Free German Potato Salad

Since we are skipping the potato prep, we can get right into cooking the bacon. Over medium heat, fry bacon pieces until they are the desired crispiness. While the bacon is cooking, you can chop your onion, measure the vinegar and reserve potato water and get your dry ingredient ready.

Remove bacon to a paper towel. Drain off some of the bacon fat if desired. I have played with this. You can reserve about a quarter cup or you can leave it all. It doesn’t seem to affect the texture or the flavor for that matter. Add your onions to the fat and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.

Easy Gluten-Free German Potato Salad is potatoes served warm in a sweet-tart, bacon vinegar dressing. This recipe is gluten-free and adds 2 kitchen hacks for easier preparation.

Slowly add the potato starch flour to the fat. Be sure that it is fully absorbed before adding the next ingredients. When your potato starch has been fully absorbed, add the sugar, salt, celery seed and pepper. Stir them around to mix thoroughly. Then begin to pour the liquid in, stirring as you go so that the dry ingredients are being integrated without becoming lumpy.

Bring the sauce to simmer and then reduce heat to continue to cook and thicken. Using the starchy water from the can will give you a nice thick dressing. If you prefer it to be a little thinner, you can use 1/3 cup reserve liquid and 1/3 cup of water or you can use all water. After playing around with it, we decided that we like it thicker.

Add the drained potatoes and about 3/4 of the cooked bacon to the dressing. Stir to coat, then transfer the salad to a baking dish. (My favorite is this 2.5Q Oval Pyrex with lid.) Top with the rest of the bacon and bake in a 350ºF oven for 30-40 minutes or until the dressing begins to bubble.

Easy Gluten-Free German Potato Salad is potatoes served warm in a sweet-tart, bacon vinegar dressing. This recipe is gluten-free and adds 2 kitchen hacks for easier preparation.

Preparation Notes

You can definitely make this ahead. I have made it as far ahead as two days.

You don’t have to reheat it in the oven, you can use a microwave or even a slow cooker if you want to have it on a buffet and keep it warm. It can be eaten cold, but it is much better warmed up.

This is a perfect picnic side, but it can also be served with any meal that you would serve potatoes.

Easy Gluten-Free German Potato Salad is potatoes served warm in a sweet-tart, bacon vinegar dressing. This recipe is gluten-free and adds 2 kitchen hacks for easier preparation.

Why is it Salad?

I have often wondered why this dish is called salad, it’s more like a casserole. But, nonetheless, this bacon-y, sweet-tart Gluten-Free German Potato Salad is called salad and it’s delicious. Be sure to let us know what you think in the comments below.

If you are looking for other great salads and homemade salad dressings, be sure to check out my Salad and Salad Dressing Index page which links you to all of our recipes for dressing, dinner and side salads.

Easy Gluten Free German Potato Salad--warm, vinegar and bacon dressing

Gluten Free German Potato Salad

Warm, sweet-tart and bacony potato salad that is gluten-free and has a cheater step.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Baking time 30 minutes
Course Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 12 people

Equipment

  • cast iron skillet
  • knife
  • glass measuring cup
  • measuring spoons
  • wooden spoon

Ingredients
  

  • ½ pound bacon chopped
  • 1 large onion chopped, about 1 cup
  • 2 tablespoons potato starch
  • ⅓ cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt more to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ⅔ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 3 15 oz cans sliced potatoes drained, reserve ⅔ cups liquid

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • In a large skillet, cook bacon. Remove to a paper towel. Reserve the fat.
  • Add chopped onion to the fat, cook until it starts to become translucent, about 5 minutes.
  • Add potato starch slowly to the fat and onions, allowing it absorb.
  • Add sugar, salt and pepper to the pan.
  • Slowly add vinegar and ⅔ cup of reserve liquid from the can (or water for a thinner consistency). Simmer until sauce begins to thicken, about 5 minutes.
  • Add potatoes.
  • Add most of the bacon back in, reserve some to sprinkle on top.
  • Transfer to a baking dish.
  • Bake 30 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling.

Notes

**For a thinner sauce, use all water (⅔ cup) OR  ⅓ water & ⅓ reserve liquid in place of ⅔ cup reserve potato liquid.
***You can make this ahead and reheat it to serve.
Keyword Gluten free

Bacon Cheeseburger Stuffed Zucchini Boats

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There is that time in the summer when zucchini is so plentiful that people don’t know what to do with it.  Garrison Keillor jokes that the only time people in Lake Woebegone lock their cars doors is during zucchini season.  They fear that people will leave a bag of zucchini on the front seat of an unlocked car.  The truth is, there is so much more to zucchini than bread.  This one is a favorite in our house:  Bacon Cheeseburger Stuffed Zucchini Boats.

bacon cheeseburger stuffed zucchini boats

Who doesn’t love a good bacon cheeseburger?  I mean, I’m not saying it’s good for you.  But yummy, oh yes.  In a world where we are looking for carb friendlier meals, the cheeseburger on a bun is out, but there are other vehicles for that cheeseburger if you look.  We often make Venison Cheeseburger Salad with homemade Russian Dressing.  However, during those high yield zucchini months, I discovered that a zucchini boat also makes an excellent device to deliver that bacon cheeseburger goodness.

Prepare the Zucchini Boats

Slice your medium sized zucchinis length wise.  Then, scoop out the seeds with a spoon.  You can then set these aside.

zucchini boats

 

Prepare Bacon Cheeseburger Stuffing

Like my Venison Cheeseburger Salad, I start with a mix of ground meat (usually ground venison in our house, but beef, turkey or chicken would all work), bacon, Worcester sauce, onions, garlic and sometimes mushrooms.

bacon cheeseburger stuffing ingredients

Cut the bacon into smaller pieces.  I used my Kitchen Aid Kitchen Shears for this.  It worked awesome.  I just held a several slices of bacon in my left hand.  Then, I cut off half inch pieces which I then cut in half or thirds.  Cook the bacon up in a cast iron skillet (we love our 12.5 inch model for jobs like this) until the fat begins to form.  Drain the drippings, leaving some if working with leaner meat.

bacon cheeseburger stuffing

Add onions, ground meat and seasoning.  Cook until all the meat is cooked through.  About 10 minutes.

Bacon Cheeseburger Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Fill the zucchini boats with the bacon-burger mixture.  Top with grated cheese.  Bake in a 350 oven until the zucchini is cooked to your desired tenderness.  40-45 minutes.

bacon cheeseburger stuffed zucchini boats

 

We then topped ours with fried onions (like Frenches).

bacon cheeseburger stuffed zucchini boats

And, my busy Working Mom Friends, this can easily be made ahead.  On the weekend, just prepare the meat, stuff your zucchini, place them in a baking dish, cover with foil.  Then on the the day you want to eat them, pop them in the oven.  They take a little longer to cook when you start from cold.  Or you could even make the meat ahead and freeze it and stuff them on the day you want to eat them.

Eat and enjoy.  Let us know if you try these Bacon Cheeseburger Stuffed Zucchini Boats.  Do you stuff your zucchinis and if so, with what?

PS. This post contains affiliate links. When you click the link and make a purchase through the link, we make a little money, this helps to keep The Semiconservative Granola Girl going. Thank you for your support.

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Print Recipe


Bacon Cheeseburger Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Course Main Dish
Cuisine Locavore

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes

Servings


Ingredients

Course Main Dish
Cuisine Locavore

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes

Servings


Ingredients


Instructions
  1. Prepare the zucchini boats by cutting them in half length wise and scooping the seeds out. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

  2. Cut bacon into half inch squares. Cook over medium heat in a large cast iron skillet.

  3. When bacon begins to produce fat, add the ground meat, onions and seasonings. Cook until meat is brown. Remove from heat.

  4. Fill the zucchini boats with the meat mixture. Top with grated cheese. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes or until the zucchini is cooked to your desired tenderness.

  5. Top with fried onions (like Frenches).


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Whatcha Got Omelette

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That’s “What You’ve Got Omelette” for all the elocutionists out there.  And, it’s probably more scramble than omelette.  It’s what we do with leftovers on the weekend.  And, a Whatcha Got Omelette never fails to impress.

Whatch Got Omelette

What is a Whatcha Got Omelette?

Answer:  whatever you want it to be.  It’s eggs and milk and cheese and whatcha got.  For us, this started as a way to empty the refrigerator when we were coming home from our Adirondack cabin.  On Sunday morning (or the morning of our last day), my husband sits in front of the refrigerator and goes through the leftovers.  And that can vary widely!  But, whatever it is, he has the makings of breakfast.  Leftover cheeseburger?  Yes.  Leftover steak?  Of course.  Leftover veggies?  Sometimes?  Leftover taco fixings?  Oh, my yes.  Leftover hotdogs?  Possible, very, very possible.

Our guests are often skeptical.  My aunt spent a weekend with us at our cabin, and let’s say, she’s not an adventurous eater.  (Not you, Aunt Vicki!)  We had cheeseburgers and hotdogs for dinner the night before and had a number of each left.  Jim started chunking them into pieces and she was incredulous.  Hotdogs and eggs?!!?  Yet, with some American Cheese and ketchup, it worked.

How to Make a Whatcha Got Omelette

Well, lets start with the formula:  2 eggs per person + 1 tablespoon of milk per egg + leftovers + cheese = Whatcha Got Omelette

Really, the first step is the go through your leftovers.  What do you have in the way of leftover meat?  What kind of cheese do you have?  Do you have any leftover veggies or fresh veggies that would complement?  Potatoes?  (Left over or in a tot form from the freezer.)  Once you have decided, cut the meat and veggies into smaller pieces. Grate or slice the cheese if necessary.

In a glass measuring cup, measure the milk, then crack eggs on top, beat vigorously.  Formula help:  if you have two people, you will need 4 eggs + 1 tablespoon milk for each egg.  4 tablespoons is 1/4 cup, so measure a quarter of a cup of milk, then crack the eggs.  Add salt and pepper to taste and whip with a flat whisk.

beans and potatoes for whatch got omelette

Heat a non-stick or cast iron skillet with your choice of oil, butter or leftover bacon fat.  Cook any fresh veggies like onions, peppers and mushrooms.  Add the meat and any pre-cooked veggies (we’ve used mushrooms and onions that were cooked for steak, but also green beans!) to reheat.  Once those are hot, add the eggs and milk combination.  Cook until eggs are soft scrambled.  Add sliced or grated cheese to melt.  Serve with ketchup if desired.

Whatcha Got Omelette

Great Whatcha Got Omelette Combinations

The Picnic Omelette: Cheeseburgers, hotdogs with American cheese

The Steak and Egg Omelette:  grilled or smoked steak with cheddar or Munster cheese

The Chicken Artichoke Potato Omelette:  leftover Lemon Artichoke Crock Pot Chicken, potatoes with cheddar

The Smoker Omelette: smoked sausage, fresh onion and Monterey Jack cheese

The Homestead Omelette:  grilled venison steak (or chops) with fresh mozzarella

The Taco Omelette:  taco meat and onions.  Add diced tomatoes when you add the cheese.  Serve with salsa and sour cream.  Freshly cut avocado or guac is excellent too.

The Meat-lovers Omelette:  Cut bacon into pieces, cook until almost cooked through,  drain most of the fat, then add any and all leftover meat.  Top with your favorite cheese

What’s Your Whatcha Got Omelette?

Let us know about the great combinations you make in your kitchen.  Give it a try.  You never know what amazing meal you might stumble upon!

Oh and Whatcha Got Omelette is hearty enough for dinner too and it makes a perfect quick weeknight meal.

PS. This post contains affiliate links. When you click the link and make a purchase through the link, we make a little money, this helps to keep The Semiconservative Granola Girl going. Thank you for your support.

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Venison Cheeseburger Salad

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We eat salads for dinner frequently.  Dinner salads seem like they should have a little more substance to them.  They need meat and cheese to be filling enough for a dinner.  We’ve tried them all.  Taco salads, yes.  Breadless sub (hoagie, hero, whatever your local name for it is) salad, yes.  Grilled chicken salad, yes.  Venison cheeseburger salad, possible.  Very, very possible.  Bacon, mushrooms, four kinds of onions, dill pickles.  Homemade Russian Dressing. Yes, please.

venison cheeseburger salad

Venison Cheeseburger Salad

This take a a little bit of work to prepare.  There is some cooking and lots of cutting and chopping, but it still qualifies as a fairly easy weeknight meal.  You could make your meat and dressing up a couple days in advance, too.

ingredients bacon cheeseburger salad

Start with some chopped bacon.  I actually chop it before I cook it.  Finely chop some mushrooms and a sweet onion.  I often do this in my Ninja Food Processor.  (According to Rachel Ray–I have not tried this–you can chop your bacon in food processor if it is frozen.)  Next, cook your bacon, onions, minced garlic and mushrooms in a heavy skillet.  (We us 12.5 cast iron one.  Probably the item in my kitchen that gets the most use after my cutting board and knives.)

bacon cheeseburger salad mixings

Once the bacon is cooked, remove it from the pan to set aside.  Add ground venison (or other ground meat) to the skillet to brown.  I generally don’t drain the bacon fat since I use it to cook the venison which is a lean meat and needs added fat.  If you are using ground beef, you might want to drain off the bacon fat.  Before the meat has browned completely, add Worcester sauce, smoked paprika, salt and pepper.  Cook a few more minutes to let the flavors meld.  Let it cool slightly or completely based on your preference.

The Salad

Of course, salad is always about the garden fresh vegetables that you prefer.  However, when we make Venison Cheeseburger Salad, we try to include typical cheeseburger toppings.  So we go with lettuce, tomatoes, and sliced onions.  Avocado, yum.  Cheese, obviously.  We used slices of white American that I cut into smaller pieces.  But, any kind of cheese you might put on a cheeseburger will do the trick.

Then we get daring and add pickle slices (we use both dill and bread and butter), green onions and fried onions.  Oh yes, that is 4 kinds of onions in this baby!  (4?  Don’t forget the cooked ones)  Top it all with some Russian Dressing (think “special sauce”) and you have a hearty dinner worthy salad.  Leftover meat makes an excellent lunch salad too.

venison cheeseburger salad

So go make yourself a yummy cheeseburger salad with all the toppings.  Let us know what you like to put on your cheeseburgers and your cheeseburger salads, too!

PS. This post contains affiliate links. When you click the link and make a purchase through the link, we make a little money, this helps to keep The Semiconservative Granola Girl going. Thank you for your support.

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Print Recipe
 Venison Cheeseburger Salad
Course Salads
Cuisine Locavore
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings
Ingredients
Meat Mixture
Salad
Course Salads
Cuisine Locavore
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings
Ingredients
Meat Mixture
Salad
Instructions
  1. In cast iron or heavy bottom skillet, cook the bacon, onions and mushrooms until the bacon starts to crisp and the onions are translucent. About 5-7 minutes.
  2. Remove the bacon mixture, drain all or some of the bacon fat. Cook the ground meat in the same skillet
  3. While the meat is cooking, prepare the salad by dividing the lettuce, tomatoes, sliced onions and mushrooms, and avocado between 4 bowls or plates.
  4. Top salad with cooked bacon burger mixture. Top with cheese, green onions, pickles, Russian dressing and fried onions.
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Bacon Chive Buttermilk Dressing

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Homemade salad dressing does a salad good.  In the early spring, I wrote a recipe for Chive Buttermilk Dressing.  It is so yummy.  Recently, I bought a bacon chive cheese spread in the deli department of the supermarket.  As always, my little recipe mind started spinning.  What if I added bacon to the chive dressing?  And, because bacon makes everything better, we now have Bacon Chive Buttermilk Dressing.

Bacon Chive Buttermilk Dressing

My husband laughs at me when I say things like bacon makes everything better.  In my original vision of the what a semiconservative granola girl was, she was a vegetarian.  Now I write a blog about being a locavore (granola, yes) with lots of posts about venison (vegetarian, no).

We often have big salads for dinner.  And, it just so happens that we had some leftover grilled chicken and some leftover bacon in the fridge.  Seems like the perfect opportunity for Bacon Chive Buttermilk Dressing.  It follows the same basic recipe for Chive Buttermilk Dressing except that it adds bacon.  (Dare I say, duh? I mean, I don’t want to insult you, my Friends, but it does seem logical.)

Making Bacon Chive Buttermilk Dressing

Making this dressing is quick and easy assuming you already have some cooked bacon on hand.  Just measure mayonnaise into a 2-cup glass measuring cup.  Pour the buttermilk on top.  Add some minced chives (I used my kitchen scissors to snip them into pieces a little less than 1/4 inch.) and chopped bacon.

ingredients for bacon chive buttermilk dressing

Then, I stirred it up with my favorite flat whisk.  Store it in a pint sized mason jar and refrigerate.  You can serve immediately, but the smokiness of the bacon really gets into the buttermilk and mayo base if you give it a few hours.  I imagine you could store it for about a week, but it never lasts that long in our house!

pouring bacon chive buttermilk dressing

Dinner salad at its finest.  Enjoy this quick homemade salad dressing:  Bacon Chive Buttermilk Dressing.

Bacon Chive Buttermilk Dressing

PS. This post contains affiliate links. When you click the link and make a purchase through the link, we make a little money, this helps to keep The Semiconservative Granola Girl going. Thank you for your support.

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Print Recipe
 Bacon Chive Buttermilk Dressing
Course Salads
Prep Time 5 minutes
Passive Time 1 hour
Servings
cups
Ingredients
Course Salads
Prep Time 5 minutes
Passive Time 1 hour
Servings
cups
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Measure mayonnaise into a glass measuring cup. Measure buttermilk on top.
  2. Add chives, bacon, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly.
  3. Refrigerate until ready eat.
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