BLT Sandwich Salad

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I'm not a salad girl. Sure, I enjoy a good salad every once in a while, but they are not something I crave or get super excited about. Until now.

This BLT Sandwich Salad is featured in the latest issue of Food Network Magazine. I was kind of obsessed with this magazine when it first came out and was an inaugural subscriber but I have been disappointed the last year or so. So much so that I tried to cancel my subscription but apparently that's not allowed since I'm still receiving the magazines and the bill. But I'm kind of glad because this recipe alone is worth the cost of the subscription.

Love this salad! Love. But seriously, it has candied bacon. How can a person not love it?

A salad version of a BLT, it's really pretty simple. Romaine lettuce, tomatoes, bacon, croutons, and a mayo based dressing are the deconstructed elements. The chopped romaine was one of my favorite parts of the salad. The price of romaine hearts stopped my heart, so I improvised with a bag of chopped romaine that I chopped even finer.

I also loved the croutons. I took a sub roll that I had in the pantry, chopped it up, tossed in some butter, and then put in the oven under broil to toast up. Slightly crunchy, yet still soft, the croutons added so much texture. And the bacon, oh the bacon. I hadn't made candied bacon in a while and forgot how insanely good it is. Crunchy, crispy, sweet yet a tiny bit smokey from the paprika. Then there is the dressing, a combination of mayo and whole grain mustard, it was the perfect topping to this salad and would be a great sandwich spread too.

This really was like eating a BLT in a salad form. I even ate the tomatoes in it! A definite keeper!

Linking to:

These Chicks Cooked

Tastetastic Thursday

BLT Sandwich Salad

Food Network Magazine, October 2011

For the salad:

• 1 head romaine lettuce, thinly sliced (about 6 cups)
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 4 slices white bread
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

For the bacon:

• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon Hungarian paprika
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, crushed in a bag with a mallet
• 6 strips center-cut bacon
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme

For the dressing:

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 to 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 4 teaspoons whole-grain mustard
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Combine the lettuce, onion and tomatoes in a large bowl; set aside.

Meanwhile, cut the bread into crouton-size cubes. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the bread cubes and toast, tossing, until golden, about 6 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Make the bacon: Mix the brown sugar, paprika, lemon zest and crushed pepper in a small bowl. Add the bacon and press to coat on both sides. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; place the thyme sprigs on the parchment paper, then lay a strip of bacon on top of each sprig. Bake until the bacon is caramelized and crisp, about 20 minutes. Let cool slightly on the baking sheet. Cut the bacon into bite-size bits using scissors; add to the bowl with the lettuce. Discard the thyme.

Make the dressing: Whisk the mayonnaise, syrup, mustard and lemon juice in a medium bowl. Add the dressing to the salad and toss. (This is enough dressing for the whole salad, but you can use less if you want a less wet salad.) Sprinkle the croutons on top and eat.