Sweet Potato Salad

This is a different take on your common potato salad. There is no mayonnaise and no egg, and it's served hot, not cold.

Don't be scared though, because this version is so amazing you'll soon be a convert. It's full of the deep flavors of mustard, vinegar, and brown sugar. The potatoes are really the star here, and this is an excellent accompaniment to seared pork chops or a roasted chicken.

ingredients:
8 red "new" potatoes
6 slices of bacon
2 tablespoons of butter
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 package (4 ounces) of cremini mushrooms
1 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 stalk celery, minces
2 tablespoons celery leaves, minced
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
2 tablespoons corn starch
3/4 cup pacific chicken stock
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
3 tablespoons coarse ground dijon mustard
salt

directions:
prepare the potatoes by scrubbing them and then slicing them into 1/4" discs. do not peel them. add them to a large pot of room temperature water and then bring this to a boil. cook the potatoes until they can be easily pierced with a fork. do not over cook them because you don't want them to lose their shape in the salad.

while the potatoes are cooking...

chop the bacon into pieces and then mince the onion, celery, garlic, and celery leaves and set aside. rinse or brush your mushrooms and trim the stems, and then slice them and set them aside.

heat a pan over high and render down the bacon. once it is browned, use a slotted spoon to remove it and set it on some paper towel to drain. remove some of the bacon fat (reserve about 1 tablespoon) and then add the butter and the olive oil to the pan. saute the onions, celery, and celery leaves until soft and glassy. add the mushrooms and saute until soft. in a small bowl mix the corn starch, chicken stock, vinegar, and brown sugar and then add to the pan with the mushrooms, onions, celery, and celery leaves. stir until the sauce thickens and reduces some. once the potatoes are cooked add to the pan with the sauce and then add in the cooked bacon. serve warm. enjoy!

notes:
my husband thought that this was going to be a disaster, but i have to say i love proving him wrong. i just knew that these flavors would come together to make something fantastic. it's a surprisingly good side dish, and honestly i could eat just this for dinner.