Italian BLT Bread Salad

By carvalhohm2

Ingredients

• 1 (8-ounce) Italian or French bread loaf, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 1/2 pound fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1 cup olive oil-and-balsamic vinegar dressing
• 1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 cups chopped romaine lettuce
• 10 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

Details

Servings 6
Preparation time 10mins
Cooking time 15mins
Adapted from mrfood.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place bread chunks on a baking sheet, and bake at 400 degrees 5 minutes or until lightly toasted.

Combine mozzarella and dressing in a shallow dish or resealable plastic bag; cover or seal, and chill 1 hour.

Toss together bread, olives, next 4 ingredients, and mozzarella mixture. Let stand 20 minutes. Serve over lettuce, and sprinkle with crumbled bacon.

Notes:
The oven is a great tool for cooking batches of bacon ahead. Place bacon slices on the rack of a roasting pan, and bake at 400 degrees F. for 20 to 25 minutes or until crisp. While bacon cooks, you're free to prepare other ingredients. Or, if you're in a super hurry, use your microwave. Ten slices will take about 7 to 9 minutes in the microwave.