Cooking Light with Bobby Flay: Mesa Grill's Southwestern Potato Salad

Bobby, you had me at "potato salad". The best potato salad in the world is made by my Mother-in-Law, Debbie Rudolph. The next best potato salad in the world is this one; Bobby Flay's Southwestern Potato Salad. It is ridiculous! Be ready...it is a bit on the spicy side. For me, that's not a problem. If spicy isn't your thing, just cut back on the amount of chipotle puree and you will be fine. The flavors just pop with this one. I can't wait for you all to try it!

MESA GRILL'S SOUTHWESTERN POTATO SALAD

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups HELLMANN'S LOW-FAT mayonnaise dressing

1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons chipotle pepper puree
1 large ripe tomato, seeded and diced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
3 scallions, chopped, white and green parts
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
16 new potatoes, about 3 to 4 pounds, cooked, drained and sliced

DIRECTIONS:

Combine all the ingredients, except the potatoes, in a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Place warm potatoes in a large bowl and pour the mixture over potatoes and mix well. Season again with salt and pepper, to taste.


RESULTS:

Making this lean is so simple. Since it is mostly made of fresh ingredients, all that needs to be done is to substitute my favorite, Hellmann's Low-Fat Mayonnaise Dressing, for regular mayo. That's it!

I will share with you the general consensus of the house; this potato salad is best served warm. We took sample bites right after throwing it together and LOVED IT! I put it in the refrigerator until dinner an hour later and opinions changed. Everyone wanted to heat it up. So, you decide. But here at the Rudolph house, we vote for Warm Southwestern Potato Salad.

As mentioned earlier, beware of the spice. Those chipotles will getcha! One tablespoon of the puree would be enough to give great flavor without burning your tongue off. At the same time, it isn't unbearable with 2 tablespoons. Everyone is different. If you aren't sure, start with 1 tablespoon and test it. You can always add to, but it's not as easy to take away.

ENJOY!