Loaded Bacon & Ranch Salad
Our Loaded Bacon & Ranch Salad lives up to its name: it’s loaded with bacon, herbs, blue cheese and the best croutons ever. They’re crispy, crunchy, mini garlic breads, and they’re so good they have a tendency to disappear before you can get ‘em on the salad. Prep is straightforward and the recipe makes a LOT, so you can cut it in half if it’s just your family — or keep it as is for a larger gathering or birthday party.
Recipe - ST. LOUIS PARK (+Wines & Spirits)
Loaded Bacon & Ranch Salad
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Ingredients
¼ cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, grated
1 tablespoon fresh parsley leaves, minced + 1 cup fresh parsley leaves (divided)
1 pound crusty artisan bread
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
1 ½ lbs hickory-smoked bacon
1 small head green romaine lettuce
1 small head iceberg lettuce
1 bunch fresh chives
2 tablespoons fresh dill
2 pints cherry tomatoes
1 cup blue cheese crumbles
2 cups baby kale spring mix
2 teaspoons Champagne vinegar
½ cup ranch dressing
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
- Heat the oven to 350 F.
- In a large bowl, stir together olive oil, grated garlic cloves, and 1 tablespoon minced parsley leaves. Slice and tear crusty bread into ½-inch pieces, toss the bread in the oil, season with salt and black pepper and spread it on a rimmed sheet pan.
- Lay bacon on parchment-lined sheet pans. Cook the bread and bacon in a 350 F oven for 20 minutes or until crispy, flipping both halfway through. Transfer the bacon to paper towel-lined plates. Let the bacon and bread cool for 15 minutes.
- Chop romaine and iceberg lettuce heads into 1-inch pieces. Rough chop 1 cup fresh parsley leaves, mince 1 bunch chives and chop 2 tablespoon dill. Quarter cherry tomatoes, dice the bacon and crumble 1 cup blue cheese.
- In a large serving bowl, toss the lettuces, 2 cup baby kale spring mix, parsley, toasted bread and half the tomatoes, bacon, blue cheese and chives with Champagne vinegar to coat.
- Garnish the salad with the remaining cherry tomatoes, bacon, blue cheese, chives, ranch dressing, dill and freshly ground black pepper. Enjoy!
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Servings
Directions
- Heat the oven to 350 F.
- In a large bowl, stir together olive oil, grated garlic cloves, and 1 tablespoon minced parsley leaves. Slice and tear crusty bread into ½-inch pieces, toss the bread in the oil, season with salt and black pepper and spread it on a rimmed sheet pan.
- Lay bacon on parchment-lined sheet pans. Cook the bread and bacon in a 350 F oven for 20 minutes or until crispy, flipping both halfway through. Transfer the bacon to paper towel-lined plates. Let the bacon and bread cool for 15 minutes.
- Chop romaine and iceberg lettuce heads into 1-inch pieces. Rough chop 1 cup fresh parsley leaves, mince 1 bunch chives and chop 2 tablespoon dill. Quarter cherry tomatoes, dice the bacon and crumble 1 cup blue cheese.
- In a large serving bowl, toss the lettuces, 2 cup baby kale spring mix, parsley, toasted bread and half the tomatoes, bacon, blue cheese and chives with Champagne vinegar to coat.
- Garnish the salad with the remaining cherry tomatoes, bacon, blue cheese, chives, ranch dressing, dill and freshly ground black pepper. Enjoy!