BLT Salad

Two words- Bacon salad. Does it get any better than that? Crispy bacon, fresh tomatoes, bright green romaine or spinach leaves, summery basil, garlicky croutons…
Quick and easy to prepare, yet certain to wow the taste buds- definitely make extra dressing-you will want it.
This recipe is easily doubled or even quadrupled to feed a crowd. It also makes a great side dish for potlucks or dinner parties.

BLT Salad

Ingredients:
1 French Baguette
6 oz. bacon (about 9 slices)
2 heads Romaine lettuce or 4 cups fresh spinach
3 cups quartered tomatoes
¼ cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, sliced into ribbons
1 clove garlic, crushed

Vinaigrette:
¼ cup bacon drippings
2 T extra-virgin olive oil/ 14 cup fresh mayo
2 T cider vinegar
1 T Dijon mustard
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp freshly ground pepper

Directions:
Cube baguette into 1/2 inch pieces (should provide about 4 cups croutons)

In a large nonstick pan, fry the bacon over medium heat until crispy. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Remove pan from heat and carefully remove and set aside 1/4 cup of the bacon drippings. Turn heat to low and return pan to the heat.

Briefly saute crushed garlic in bacon drippings.
Add the bread cubes and toss until golden and crispy, stirring regularly, about four minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Add all vinaigrette ingredients to a quart Mason jar and shake until well blended.

Crumble the bacon.
Cut Romaine heads into bite size pieces. Place lettuce or spinach in a large serving bowl. Top with tomatoes, crumbled bacon, and croutons. Drizzle with dressing, toss and serve.

Serves 6