Wedge Salad With Blue Cheese Cranberry Almonds And Bacon Food

OUTBACK-STYLE BLUE CHEESE WEDGE SALAD

Steps:

• Make the dressing: Whisk the mayonnaise, vinegar, buttermilk and sugar in a small bowl. Stir in the blue cheese and season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the glaze: Combine the sugar, balsamic vinegar and 2 tablespoons water in a small nonstick skillet. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Pour into a small bowl and let cool.
• Make the salad: Divide the iceberg wedges among plates. Spoon the dressing on top, letting it run down the sides. Drizzle all over with some of the glaze, about 1 teaspoon per wedge (you will not need all the glaze). Top with the tomatoes, red onion, bacon and blue cheese.

WEDGE SALAD WITH CRISPY BACON AND BLUE CHEESE DRESSING

Steps:

• Mash up 1/2 cup of the blue cheese in a bowl until smooth; add the mayonnaise, yogurt, lemon juice and Dijon mustard and mix until combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If the dressing is too thick for your taste, add a bit of buttermilk or water to thin down. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Lay the iceberg wedges on a platter or one on each individual plate.
• Top with a generous drizzle of dressing, then sprinkle with the cherry tomatoes and the remaining 1/2 cup blue cheese. Top each with strip of crispy bacon.

BLUE CHEESE AND DRIED CRANBERRY TOSSED SALAD

Steps:

• Layer the romaine lettuce with the cucumber, grape tomatoes, pecans, cranberries, and blue cheese in a large salad bowl. Dress the salad with the balsamic vinaigrette before serving.

LETTUCE WEDGES WITH BLUE CHEESE DRESSING

Steps:

• In a medium mixing bowl, combine the lemon juice, mayonnaise, buttermilk, sour cream, garlic powder and onion powder. Whisk the mixture together until smooth. Add the cheese and mix just until blended. Chill in an airtight container in the refrigerator at least 2 hours before serving.
• Core and quarter each head of lettuce. Serve a generous dollop of dressing over each lettuce wedge and top with the bacon and tomato. Season with pepper.

HEARTS OF ROMAINE WITH BLUE CHEESE AND BACON

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Lay the bacon strips on a roasting rack and bake in the oven until crisp, about 20 minutes. (To make bacon curls: Wrap each slice of raw bacon around a metal skewer in a barber-pole fashion and lay the skewers on the roasting rack.) Pat dry with a paper towel. When cool enough to handle, break into pieces or in half, if using curls.
• Put the egg in a small saucepan with enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil, cover, and remove from the heat. Set aside for 10 minutes. Drain the egg and roll it between your palm and the counter to crack the shell, then peel under cool running water. Rub the egg through a fine-mesh strainer and set aside.
• Remove the large outer leaves from the romaine hearts and rinse. Chop these leaves into bite-size pieces and spin dry. (Use an extremely sharp knife to minimize bruising the edges.) Halve the hearts through the cores to make 4 wedges. Rinse under cold running water and shake to air dry.
• Divide the wedges among 4 plates. Mound some of the chopped romaine on top and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Spoon about 1/4 cup of Blue Cheese Dressing over each salad and top with some of the sieved egg and bacon. Pass the remaining dressing at the table.
• Pulse the mayonnaise, blue cheese, buttermilk, shallot, lemon zest, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and celery seeds in a food processor to make a chunky but pourable sauce. Stir in the parsley and season with plenty of pepper. Use immediately or refrigerate in a tightly sealed container for up to 3 days.

WEDGE SALAD WITH BLUE CHEESE AND BACON

Steps:

• Mix mayo, buttermilk and vinegar in medium bowl; stir in cheese and half the bacon.
• Place 1 lettuce wedge on each of 4 plates; top with mayo mixture, tomatoes, onions and remaining bacon.
• Season with pepper.