Instructions:
- Cook bacon lardons until crispy. Remove bacon, reserving 1 tablespoon of rendered fat if desired. Separately, hard-boil the eggs; cool, peel, and roughly chop.
- Place cubed potatoes in cold, salted water. Bring to a boil and cook until fork-tender (about 15–20 minutes). Drain immediately and let steam dry in the colander for 5 minutes.
- While potatoes cook, whisk together all ranch dressing ingredients (mayonnaise, sour cream, buttermilk, herbs, spices, mustard, vinegar) in a medium bowl until smooth. Season aggressively with salt and pepper.
- Place the warm, dry potatoes into the large serving bowl. If using the reserved bacon fat, drizzle it over the warm potatoes now.
- Gently fold in the chopped celery and minced red onion into the potatoes.
- Pour about two-thirds of the ranch dressing over the potato mixture. Gently fold until just coated.
- Gently fold in the chopped hard-boiled eggs, most of the crumbled bacon (save a bit for garnish), and the shredded cheddar cheese. Add more dressing if the salad seems dry, but err on the side of slightly under-dressed.
- Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight, to allow the flavours to fully meld.
- Before serving, give the salad one final gentle stir. Adjust consistency with any remaining dressing if needed. Garnish with reserved bacon crumbles, extra chives, and a final grind of black pepper.