Yield: About 6 1/2 lbs of potato salad  

Ingredients:
5 lbs red potatoes (the smaller the better), unpeeled
1 lb bacon, cooked crisp and chopped/crumbled, reserve 2 Tbsp. for garnish
1 1/2 cups green onions, sliced 1/8 inch, reserve 2 Tbsp. for garnish
1 15 oz jar of mayonnaise
1/3 cup yellow mustard
3 whole large Chipotle chilies in Adobo sauce or 4 Tbsp of paste
1 Tbsp. coarse Kosher salt
1 tsp. coarse ground black pepper

Method:
If you have very small potatoes cook them whole.  If they are large cut them in half or in quarters.  The larger pieces of potato will absorb less water and will give your potato salad a better texture and flavor. For details on simmering potatoes check out the COOKING section of Creamy Mashed Potato Technique

Put the potatoes in a 2 gallon pot and add one gallon of cold water and 7 tsp. of kosher salt.  The water level should be at least one inch above the potatoes.  Slowly bring to a gentle simmer. 

Simmer the potatoes until there is just the slightest resistance in the center of the potato when they are pierced with a knife.

Once cooked, gently drain them into a colander and spread them onto a sheet tray.  Refrigerate until cold.

Cut the potatoes into pieces about 1 1/4 inch in size.

Chop Chipotle peppers with a knife, then smash the chopped peppers with the side of a knife to make a paste.

Put the potatoes in a bowl much larger than you think you need. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix. I like to mix this to the point where some of the potatoes start to come apart and thicken the dressing and make a really dense salad. It helps bridge the flavor and texture gap between the dressing and the sold parts of the potatoes.

Taste and make any final adjustments on seasoning. 

Chill at least two hours.

Just before serving sprinkle the reserved bacon and green onions over the top.

RECIPE NOTES
Salt is the balance for acidity. The key to seasoning this salad, or any dish, is balancing the salt with the acidic ingredients.

You can save money by using bacon ends & pieces as opposed to sliced bacon.

If you’re using sliced bacon try cooking it in the oven. It makes less of a mess and there is one less thing to worry about on the stove. Bake at 375 degrees for about 40 minutes.