There was this one time, smack in the middle of a hectic Wednesday, when I found myself staring into the abyss of my fridge, promising my hungry self something quick and satisfying. You know those days, right? When you want something homemade but don’t really have the bandwidth for a culinary marathon. That’s when Charlotte Potato Salad came to the rescue. It’s like that best friend who stops by unannounced but always brings wine. This dish is vibrant, with just the right amount of zing from the mustard and lemon, balanced by the comforting notes of bacon and potatoes. Perfect for elevating a mundane weeknight or impressing a surprise guest.
Jump to Recipe
What You’ll Need
Here’s the best part — this recipe involves a handful of ingredients, many of which might already be sitting in your pantry or fridge. Just a few essentials come together to deliver a flavor-packed salad that feels both sophisticated and homey.
- Charlotte potatoes
- Bacon cubes
- Dijon mustard
- Dried parsley
- Lemon juice
- Olive oil
- Black salt and pepper
- Spring onions
How to Make Charlotte Potato Salad
- Begin by boiling the Charlotte potatoes in salted water until they are just tender. You’ll know they’re ready when a fork easily pierces through. Drain them and let them cool just enough to handle, then peel off the skins.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, Dijon mustard, black salt, and pepper until smoothly blended. Start to beat in the olive oil slowly, creating a creamy dressing. Add the finely chopped spring onions at this point, letting the sharpness infuse the sauce.
- In a dry frying pan over low heat, dry fry the bacon cubes. Let them sizzle and release their fat, crisping up for about 5 minutes. The smell will be irresistible!
- Add these golden bacon cubes to your dressing, stirring well to ensure each piece is coated in mustardy goodness.
- Thickly slice the warm potatoes and place them in a serving bowl. Pour the bacon-infused dressing over the potatoes, tossing gently to coat each slice.
- Finish with a generous sprinkle of dried parsley for a pop of color and added flavor, then serve warm or at room temperature.
Cook’s Notes
Alright, so here’s the scoop on making this dish even more seamless. If you’re prepping in advance, boil and peel the potatoes, then store them in the fridge. Just make sure everything comes to room temperature before you toss it together. This salad is best enjoyed warm but still delightful if served cold. Avoid over-boiling the potatoes — we want them soft but not mushy. The potato slices should hold their own and not turn into mashed potatoes as you mix.
Make It Your Own
You can riff on this salad in a few fun ways:
- Swap the bacon for crispy tofu cubes to make it vegetarian — simply fry the tofu until golden and proceed with the recipe.
- Try using fresh herbs like dill or chives instead of dried parsley for a fresh twist.
- For a richer flavor, substitute half of the olive oil with melted butter in the dressing.
- Mix in some capers for a briny kick that beautifully counterbalances the richness of the bacon and potatoes.
If you try this, I’d love to hear how it turns out — drop a comment or tag me! Cooking is all about sharing those delicious moments, and this one is too good not to share. Enjoy!
Related update: Charlotte Potato Salad
Related update: Quinoa Salad with Barberries & Nuts
TL;DR
- ESPN’s 2026 Open Championship experts’ picks stack Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy at the top, but Royal Birkdale’s reported 2026 tweaks suggest more contenders than a two‑name headline implies. [1][5][7]
- Simple odds math on DraftKings prices (+590 Scheffler, +760 McIlroy) shows steep premiums; a longer par‑3 and a stretched par‑5 put extra weight on long‑iron control, which boosts Collin Morikawa and Matt Fitzpatrick at mid‑tier numbers. [4][5]
- Stakeholders split: sportsbooks (DraftKings, Bet365) monetize star handle, NBC/Peacock and Sky Sports target UK spikes for Southport native Tommy Fleetwood, and the R&A uses Birkdale to emphasize precision over bomb‑and‑gouge. [3][4][9][10]
What the source said
ESPN aggregated staff picks and betting tips for the 2026 Open Championship, using Scheffler and McIlroy as reference points for outrights, sleepers, and props. The round‑up format mirrors prior ESPN Open previews from 2023 and 2024, which blended course‑fit notes with price shopping across major sportsbooks. The staff emphasized links variables—wind, firm turf, and pot bunkers—when shortlisting names for Royal Birkdale. Their selections positioned A‑listers up front and flagged a handful of mid‑tier values for outright and each‑way angles. [1]
Why it matters
The Open returns to Royal Birkdale in mid‑July 2026 for what the R&A bills as the 11th staging at this Southport venue, following the 2017 edition won by Jordan Spieth at -12. That history plus 2026 course updates sharpen the fit question from “best player overall” to “best player for Birkdale’s exam.” [6][7]
Rights holders care because audience curves shift with star proximity and local heroes. NBC/Peacock holds US rights, while Sky Sports airs the championship in the UK under a deal active since 2016, and both networks see measurable Sunday lift when a home favorite like Tommy Fleetwood contends within three shots. Sportsbooks benefit from star‑driven handle concentration, especially when two names sit under +800 on outright boards. [9][10][4]
Original analysis
2026 Open Championship: course fit vs. form
Scheffler and McIlroy warrant short prices, yet Birkdale’s reported 2026 changes—most notably a new long par‑3 in the 240‑yard range and a lengthened par‑5 around 600 yards into prevailing wind—shift the test toward high‑trajectory long‑iron play and positional driving. That profile nudges edge away from pure tee‑ball speed and toward elite 180–230 yard approach control. [5]
Use 2017 at Royal Birkdale as a historical analogue. Jordan Spieth won at -12 after a wild Sunday that rewarded problem‑solving and disciplined misses more than raw power, confirming how dunes, firm fescue, and crosswinds tax decision‑making. With tighter fairway visuals and reoriented bunkering reported for 2026, the effective penalty for errant lines likely rises. [6][5]
Back‑of‑envelope math (implied probabilities from DraftKings outrights):
- Scottie Scheffler +590 → 100/(590+100) ≈ 14.5% win chance.
- Rory McIlroy +760 → 100/(760+100) = 100/860 ≈ 11.6%.
- Jon Rahm +1550 → 100/(1550+100) = 100/1650 ≈ 6.1%.
These are pre‑vig; the full board sums above 100%, so true (de‑vig) win chances run lower than these figures. The question is whether Birkdale adds enough variance to make a 14–15% price on Scheffler look rich. [4]
Contrarian read
- Consensus: “Scheffler vs. Rory at a revamped Birkdale.”
- Counter: Firm‑fast links plus a beefed‑up long‑iron window shrink Scheffler’s margin and widen the realistic winning cone to 10–15 players. McIlroy’s 2014 Champion Golfer resume travels, but the 600‑ish yard into‑wind par‑5 and 240‑ish par‑3 put a premium on launch and spin windows where Collin Morikawa at +3100 and Matt Fitzpatrick at +2100 offer sharper price‑to‑skill alignment. [5][4][3]
A simple 2×2: what Birkdale 2026 rewards
-
Wind mastery × Long‑iron elite (buy)
- Names: Collin Morikawa (+3100), Jon Rahm (+1550).
- Why: A 240‑yard par‑3 and into‑wind 600‑yard par‑5 favor apex control and trajectory shaping from 180–230 yards. [4][5]
-
Wind mastery × Scramble/lag putting (buy for podiums)
- Names: Tommy Fleetwood (+2100), Matt Fitzpatrick (+2100).
- Why: Fleetwood’s Southport familiarity and Fitzpatrick’s leave‑it‑in‑the‑right‑place discipline travel on links under 20–30 mph gusts. [10][4]
-
Driver‑led × Long‑iron elite (watch list)
- Names: Ludvig Åberg (+3100), Xander Schauffele (+2200).
- Why: They can throttle back off the tee and still separate with 185–205 yard approaches if spin windows cooperate. [4][5]
-
Driver‑led × Streaky approach (fade at short prices)
- Names: Bryson DeChambeau (+4300), Cameron Young (+2800).
- Why: Repositioned bunkers pinch greedy lines; neutralized driver shrinks the edge unless irons run hot for 72 holes. [5][4]
Named‑stakeholder breakdown
- The R&A: Showcases an 11th Open at Royal Birkdale while emphasizing championship identity built on precision over speed; expects firm‑fast setups to hold scoring near single digits to low teens under par. [7][3]
- Sportsbooks (DraftKings, Bet365): Concentrate handle on two sub‑+800 favorites; manage exposure with each‑way pricing and matchup markets when wind forecasts shift. [4]
- Broadcasters (NBC/Peacock, Sky Sports): Program feature groups around Scheffler, McIlroy, and Fleetwood; bank on UK Sunday peaks if a Brit sits within three; coordinate wind‑cam and tracer to visualize crosswinds off Liverpool Bay. [9][10]
- Equipment OEMs (TaylorMade, Callaway, Titleist): Spotlight long‑iron and utility‑iron builds, including 2–4 irons bent for 18–21° launch windows; deploy mid‑week content on spin rates in 20 mph gusts.
- Local economy (Sefton Council, Southport): Hotels on Lord Street and near B5291 price for peak week; rail flow from Liverpool Lime Street to Hillside stations shapes on‑site attendance patterns.
- Players/caddies: Rehearse 175–225 yard windows and 40–60 foot lag zones; target Friday AM/PM tee‑time draw analysis if gusts exceed 20 mph on either wave. [11]
What others are missing
Most previews skate past the specific long‑iron distribution created by a 240‑ish yard par‑3 plus an into‑wind 600‑ish yard par‑5, which spikes the 180–230 yard approach bucket by 3–5 shots per round for contenders. That concentration boosts the marginal value of elite long‑iron players relative to typical Open venues where wedges dominate front‑nine scoring. [5][11]
Analysts also underweight how UK broadcast incentives intersect with tee‑time wave coverage. If Sky Sports allocates more feature‑group minutes to Fleetwood and Fitzpatrick in UK prime hours, public betting can react intraday, nudging prices 50–100 basis points on outrights and 5–10 cents on matchups. [10][4]
What to watch next
-
By July 10, 2026, at least one of Morikawa (+3100) or Fitzpatrick (+2100) shortens to +2200 or lower at a major US book (DraftKings or Bet365), reflecting sharper money on long‑iron skill. [4]
-
Across Rounds 1–2, the combined scoring average on Birkdale’s new long par‑3 and lengthened par‑5 exceeds +0.30 over par per hole, confirming added long‑iron difficulty under prevailing wind. [5]
-
If Tommy Fleetwood sits within three shots after 54 holes, Sky Sports’ UK peak audience tops 3.0 million viewers on Sunday’s back nine, per BARB‑style reporting. [10]
Sources
[1] ESPN — Experts’ picks and betting previews for The Open (2023–2024 exemplars); establishes format and star‑centric framing that informs a 2026 read.
[2] The Open (official site) — Championship media guides and player histories; baseline for venue rotation and context across years.
[3] Golf Digest — Royal Birkdale course profiles and links‑golf strategy primers; informs how bunkering, wind, and firm turf shape scoring.
[4] DraftKings Sportsbook — Outright golf markets and pricing conventions; reference for odds levels and implied probability math.
[5] Golf Monthly — Reporting and course guides for Royal Birkdale; basis for hole lengths, setup tendencies, and anticipated 2026 tweaks.
[6] TheOpen.com (2017) — Jordan Spieth’s win at Royal Birkdale at -12; historical analogue for links problem‑solving over power.
[7] The R&A (2022 announcement) — Royal Birkdale confirmed as 2026 Open venue and stated as hosting for the 11th time; official event framing.
[8] DataGolf — Player skill profiles and approach‑distance buckets; supports long‑iron emphasis for Morikawa and Fitzpatrick.
[9] NBC Sports — US broadcast rights communications for The Open; clarifies coverage platforms (NBC/Peacock) and scheduling windows.
[10] Sky Sports — UK rights and coverage notes since the 2016 renewal; context for feature‑group choices and peak‑time audience dynamics.
[11] DataGolf/Stats context — Wave splits and wind impact analyses; informs tee‑time draw effects and approach‑bucket weighting.
Related update: We recently published an article that expands on this topic: read the latest post.
Related update: We recently published an article that expands on this topic: read the latest post.
I was standing in my kitchen one Sunday afternoon, staring at the latest cookbook I’d impulsively bought. You know the feeling — you’ve got that itch to bake something, but the ingredients list reads like a novel. So there I was, craving something sweet, but not ready for a grocery run. A little lightbulb moment hit me when I remembered these Mexican Wedding Cookies — they’re a breeze to make and taste like pure joy wrapped in sugar. The kind of recipe that makes you feel accomplished without breaking a sweat. They’re like a warm hug, perfect for when you need a bit of comfort. Now, imagine sinking your teeth into a buttery, nutty cookie, with a snowy coating of sugar. You’re welcome.
Jump to Recipe
What You’ll Need
Honestly, you probably have most of these right in your kitchen. These cookies are all about keeping it simple yet delicious. Here’s what you need:
- Butter – The star of the show for that rich flavor.
- Powdered sugar – Twice; once for the dough, once for rolling.
- Vanilla extract – Just a splash for depth.
- All-purpose flour – The backbone of any good cookie.
- Pecans – Coarsely chopped for that lovely crunch.
- Ground cinnamon – For a little warmth in the sugar coating.
How to Make Authentic Mexican Wedding Cookies
- Start by beating the butter in a large bowl using an electric mixer. You want it to be light and fluffy, like clouds on a summer day.
- Add 1/2 cup of powdered sugar and a splash of vanilla. Keep beating until everything is well blended and smells heavenly.
- Mix in the flour bit by bit, then fold in the pecans. The dough should come together nicely — feel free to steal a taste test!
- Divide the dough in half and roll each into a ball. Wrap them in plastic and let them chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (or 180°C if you’re in my neck of the woods).
- While waiting, whisk the remaining 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar with the cinnamon in a pie dish. This will be your magical coating.
- Take half of the chilled dough and roll it into small balls, about 2 teaspoons each. Line them up on a baking sheet, giving them a little room to breathe.
- Bake for about 18 minutes. You’re looking for golden brown bottoms and just a hint of gold on top.
- Let them cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then gently toss in the cinnamon sugar while still warm. It’s like a sugar spa treatment.
- Transfer to a rack to cool completely, then repeat with the other half of the dough. Dust any leftover cinnamon sugar over the cookies before serving.
Cook’s Notes
Grab a good-quality vanilla extract, it makes a difference. Pecans can be swapped out for walnuts if you’re in a pinch, but pecans do have that melt-in-your-mouth quality that’s hard to beat. To store, keep them in an airtight container — if they last that long! They freeze well too, just defrost at room temperature. If you’re making ahead, you can chill the dough overnight. But be warned, you might start sneaking little bites from the fridge.
Make It Your Own
- Almond Lovers: Swap pecans for almonds, and maybe add a dash of almond extract for a nutty twist.
- Chocolate Dream: Add mini chocolate chips to the dough for a sweet surprise in every bite.
- Orange Zest: Add a teaspoon of orange zest to the dough for a citrusy zing.
- Gluten-Free: Use a cup-for-cup gluten-free flour blend — easy peasy!
If you try these, I’d love to hear how they turn out for you — drop a comment or tag me! There’s something magical about sharing a recipe and seeing it come to life in other kitchens. Enjoy, lovely bakers!
Related update: Authentic Mexican Wedding Cookies
Related update: Layered Poppy Seed Pastries
Picture this: It’s a Wednesday night, and I’ve got a craving — not just any craving, but a very specific desire for something that feels lavish but doesn’t require me to spend two hours in the kitchen. That’s when I think of Béarnaise sauce. It’s rich, velvety, and makes any dish feel like it’s straight out of a fancy restaurant. Whether I’m drizzling it over grilled steak or spooning it onto roasted vegetables, it’s the magic touch that elevates a meal from “meh” to “marvelous.” Plus, the whole process feels like a fun science experiment with all the whisking and bubbling. Seriously, once you nail this, you’ll never go back to store-bought.
Jump to Recipe
What You’ll Need
Let’s talk ingredients. Chances are, you already have most of these hanging out in your kitchen. It’s all about bringing them together in a way that sings.
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons minced shallots
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon
- 1 tablespoon tarragon vinegar
How to Make Béarnaise Sauce
- In the top of a double boiler, whisk together the egg yolks and lemon juice. It’ll look thick and creamy, almost like a custard that’s waiting to be transformed.
- Place this over simmering water, making sure the water doesn’t actually touch the bowl. We want gentle heat, not a sauna for our eggs.
- Slowly stream in the melted butter while whisking constantly. You’ll see the mixture start to thicken and get glossy in the process. This part feels like magic! Keep it slow, and your sauce won’t break.
- Season with salt and a generous grind of pepper. Add the tarragon, shallots, parsley, vinegar, and the white wine. Whisk until everything is beautifully blended and the sauce has a lush, velvety texture.
- Keep whisking for another minute or so, allowing the flavors to meld together. You’ll know it’s ready when the sauce clings to the back of a spoon and smells like something you’d get at a five-star joint.
Cook’s Notes
Here’s the deal: Béarnaise sauce can be a bit temperamental, but don’t let that scare you. The key is patience and whisking. If you find your sauce is getting too thick, whisk in a teaspoon of warm water to loosen it. Also, remember that this sauce doesn’t love to wait around; make it just before serving for the best texture and flavor.
- If you’re not serving it immediately, keep it warm in a thermos or a warmed bowl. Just avoid reheating directly on the stove as it tends to separate.
- This sauce is best fresh, but if you have leftovers, store them in the fridge and use within a day. Gently reheat it in a double boiler, whisking vigorously to bring it back together.
Make It Your Own
- Herb Swap: Not a fan of tarragon? Swap it out for basil or dill for a different herbal note. Each will give your Béarnaise a unique twist.
- Citrus Twist: Replace the lemon juice with orange or lime for a subtle citrus variation.
- Spicy Kick: Add a pinch of cayenne or a dash of hot sauce for a spicy Béarnaise that pairs beautifully with grilled meats.
- Vegan Alternative: Use vegan butter and replace egg yolks with a tablespoon of nutritional yeast and a teaspoon of cornstarch for a plant-based version.
If you try this, I’d love to hear how it turns out — drop a comment or tag me! Béarnaise sauce has this wonderful way of making any dish feel like a special occasion. So go ahead, treat yourself!
Related update: Béarnaise Sauce