Bacon, Bacon, Bacon

Salad-a-Day #13

Fabulous Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing

 

 

Bacon, Bacon, Bacon

I cooked bacon today.  It was delightful. 

It makes the house smell really good :)  Well, at least initially.  I must admit...I can't stand our house to smell like food after we have eaten dinner and have done the dishes.  I want the smell to disappear "right then".  Like the smell needs to go down the drain with the dirty dishwater...  My honey LOVES for it to smell like whatever we have cooked for hours and hours.  I want our house to smell fresh and not like food.  I am constantly burning candles to mask the smell.  Or opening windows. Or running the vent-a-hood. Or spraying room freshener.  So..right now it is 9pm in Texas.  It smells like bacon in my living room, where I am watching the Houston Astros play the Texas Rangers on tv with my honey inches away from me.  I am trying to convince myself that the smell of bacon is delightful...  I mean, I LOVE bacon.  I believe that you can't trust someone who doesn't like bacon.  You may not eat it because of health reasons, or another good reason, but you know that deep down they would LOVE to eat several thick slices of applewood smoked bacon if they were a little stronger (or weaker...).

Due to my love of bacon, and that today is my "free" day on my diet - where I allow myself something sweet, and something fattening, I am making a bacon salad.

 

Ingredients

Delicious-ness

The warm dressing poured over the salad right before you eat it is really tasty!

I also made a skillet of cornbread to eat with this delightful salad for lunch today. 

And, I must say "Yum!!"

I made a post with my cornbread recipe last fall if you are interest click here:  Joeby's Cornbread

This is the picture I sent my honey today to make him jealous of my yummy salad :)

 

Fabulous Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing

6 cups baby spinach

2 hard boiled eggs, cooled and sliced (I sprinkle them with salt and pepper)

8-9 slices crispy cooked bacon (divided)

2 oz. blue cheese (or freshly shaved parmesan is also delightful)

1 sliced avocado

Dressing:

1/4 cup bacon grease (saved from cooking bacon above, or from your bacon grease stash)

1 clove garlic, minced

3 tablespoons golden balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

salt and pepper (a couple of dashes of each)

 

I cook my bacon in the oven on a wire rack so the grease falls into a sheet pan.  I cook at 425 degrees for about 15-20 minutes - or until nicely crispy browned. It crumbles better if extra crispy.

Place spinach on a platter, and arrange sliced eggs, 5-6 slices of crumbled bacon (save the other 3 slices for the dressing), cheese, and avocado around on the spinach.

For the dressing - heat bacon grease, garlic, vinegar, sugar, mustard.  Stir with whisk until nice and hot.  Add bacon and salt and pepper.  You don't need much salt and pepper - especially if you season your eggs before placing them on the spinach.

Right before serving, pour warm dressing all over the beautiful salad and eat immediately.

 

I hope that your day has been delightful!

Until tomorrow,

~ Joeby