Start by cooking the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crispy, about 8-10 minutes, then chop into bite-sized pieces and set aside. While the bacon cooks, hard-boil the eggs by placing them in a pot of cold water, bringing to a boil, then removing from heat and letting sit for 10 minutes before cooling and chopping into ½-inch cubes. Finally, finely dice the red onion into ¼-inch pieces and chop the dill pickles into similar-sized pieces. I like to do all my protein prep early so I can focus on the potatoes without multitasking.

Preheat your oven to 425°F. In a large bowl, combine the potato chunks with olive oil, ranch seasoning, and dill weed, tossing until the potatoes are evenly coated. Spread them in a single layer on a greased baking sheet and roast for 45-60 minutes, stirring and flipping halfway through to ensure even browning. The potatoes are done when golden brown and tender when pierced with a fork.

Remove the roasted potatoes from the oven and let them cool for 15 minutes at room temperature—this prevents them from breaking apart when mixed and allows the dressing to absorb better. While the potatoes cool, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, dill pickle juice, additional dill weed, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl until smooth and well combined. I prefer Hellmann's mayo for its creamy texture, which makes the final salad luxuriously rich.

Add the cooled potatoes from Step 2 to the dressing bowl along with the bacon, eggs, diced red onion, and pickles from Step 1. Fold everything together gently with a large spoon or rubber spatula, being careful not to break up the potatoes too much. Mix until all components are evenly coated with the creamy dressing and well distributed throughout.