Stop Settling For Boring Potato Salad — One Ingredient Instantly Upgrades Your Recipe

Nothing says outdoor barbecue like potato salad. Made with either a mayo or vinegar dressing, potato salad is a versatile side dish that is just waiting for you to put your own spin on it. If you are searching for that one ingredient that can transform a classic, creamy potato salad into a memorable bite that has everyone talking, try adding some sour cream to the mix. This dairy product, which is a favorite to add to cakes or to top off a taco, can add an unexpected tanginess to potato salad that changes the taste, the texture, and experience.

Sour cream is slightly acidic, which can balance out the fatty richness of a creamy mayo-based potato salad. While mayo tends to have a neutral flavor, sour cream's bite allows the other sweet and savory ingredients — including bland potatoes — to shine, bringing out the competing taste of onions, relish, and freshly chopped herbs. Just be careful when it comes to proportions. One cup of sour cream to ½ cup of mayo is a good ratio, and you can also balance it with some tart mustard.

Adding sour cream will definitely prevent your potato salad from feeling one-dimensional and lighten the flavor. While mayo can feel oily or greasy on the tongue, sour cream gives it a softer, lighter taste. Of course, while adding sour cream can be a game changer, seasoning your sour cream can take your uber-rich meal to the next level. Add a little hot sauce to your sour cream before adding it to your potato salad and enjoy a spicy kick with each forkful. Seasoning packets can also be a flavor multiplier. Taco seasoning or ranch dressing packets are perfect for amplifying the taste.

But just don't focus on the dressing. The potatoes need a little TLC, too. If you really want to make a memorable side dish, upgrade your potato salad with smashed potatoes in addition to the sour cream. Smashed potatoes are golden, crispy, and crunchy. That little texture change, along with the addition of sour cream, will make this dish formidable during your next cookout.