Salad - Best ever & most requested

By Peggie

Ingredients

• For the salad:
• 1 bag spring salad mix
• 1 bag romaine
• 3 oz bag of Oscar Mayer real bacon (It's best to make your own bacon - but I almost always cheat - applewood smoked bacon is awesome with this salad)
• 1/2 cup dried cherries or cranberries
• 1 large granny smith apple, chopped
• 1/2 cup toasted pecans or almonds
• 5 oz Gorgonzola or blue cheese crumbled
• For the Balsamic Dressing:
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil or canola
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons good balsamic vinegar
• 1/8 teaspoon dry mustard (or a little squeeze of yellow or Grey Poupon mustard)
• Few twists of fresh cracked pepper Or use 1/8 tsp of reg ground pepper
• Directions
• Whisk all the ingredients together, until sugar and oil are blended. It takes a few minutes for the oil and sugar to blend. Keep whisking....it will blend.

Preparation

Step 1

Clean lettuce, place in large bowl and top with ingredients - toss.

Tips
You can add more or less of each ingredient - do what you prefer.
Chop the apple right before serving to prevent it from browning.

To toast almonds or pecans - place in skillet on medium high heat, stirring until they are toasted.

If you plan on serving the entire salad, go ahead and add the dressing a little at a time, blending until you reach desired amount. If not, keep dressing separate and add individually.

This salad is great with grilled chicken tossed on top for a meal.