Hot Potato Salad

This genius recipe is the perfect marriage of potato salad with a bubbly, cheesy gratin.

Ingredients
1 pound processed cheese (such as Velveeta)
8 baking potatoes (about 4 lb.)
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
1 cup sliced pimiento-stuffed Spanish olives
Vegetable cooking spray
6 bacon slices, cut into 2-inch pieces

Preparation
1. Freeze cheese 45 minutes to 1 hour. Meanwhile, cook potatoes in boiling water to cover 25 to 30 minutes or until tender; drain and cool completely.

2. Peel potatoes, and cut into 1-inch cubes. Grate frozen cheese, using large holes of a box grater.

3. Preheat oven to 325°. Whisk together mayonnaise and half-and-half in a large bowl. Stir in onion, olives, potatoes, and cheese until blended. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spoon into a 13- x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with bacon pieces.

4. Bake at 325° for 55 minutes. Increase oven temperature to broil, and broil 5 minutes or until bacon is crisp. Let stand 5 minutes.

Note: Organic milk may curdle while simmering. Don’t worry, it will smooth out when processed in the blender.