Red Potato Salad with Bacon

Adapted from a recipe by Brown Eyed Baker

4 - 5 cups red potatoes, cubed

10 slices bacon {I used thick cut applewood bacon}

1/2 cup mayonnaise**

2 tsp granulated sugar

1 tsp salt

4 hard boiled eggs, chopped

2 stalks celery, diced

3/4 green bell pepper, diced

1 small sweet onion, chopped

1/2 cup sweet gerkin pickles, diced

1 tsp black pepper

1) Boil the potatoes until fork tender, approximately 10 min. {Fill pot with water until potatoes are just covered. When rolling boil is reached, reduce heat a bit to sustain a bubbling boil to prevent water from boiling over. After 5 minutes, test a potato cube. Watch closely to avoid over cooking, otherwise salad will be mushy.} Drain potatoes and set aside to cool.

2) Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Place on a paper towel lined plate to drain. Pour off all but two tablespoons of the bacon drippings in the skillet.

3) Add the mayo, sugar, and salt to the skillet and whisk to combine with bacon drippings.

4) Place bacon strips in a large plastic baggie, seal and crunch the bacon into pieces.

5) In a large mixing bowl, combine potatoes, eggs, celery, green pepper, onion, pickles and bacon. Pour mayo mixture over ingredients, sprinkle mixture with pepper and stir to coat evenly.

6) Cover and chill at least 2 hours before serving.

** If potato mixture is too dry, more mayo can be added as needed.