MY MOST REQUESTED RECIPE (GORGONZOLA, APPLE, CHERRIES, PECANS & BACON)

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This salad is the absolute best ever! Gorgonzola, apple, cherries, pecans, bacon, and a sweet balsamic dressing are used to make this dish! You'll be coming back for more, I promise. For more than 25 years, people have requested this salad dish the most. 

When I was expecting my first kid more than 25 years ago, I made this salad in an effort to satisfy my yearning for salty, sweet, and tart foods. It has now become my go-to salad and recipe that receives the most requests. I prepare it for dinner parties, holidays, and other special events. My first child also asks it for every birthday, which is just fitting.

Ingredients

  • 1 bag spring salad mix
  • 1 bag romaine
  • 3 oz bag of Oscar Mayer real bacon (or make your own – I often cheat)
  • 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

MARY’S SWEET 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

Instructions

Mix the sugar and oil in the dressing components by whisking them together.

If you intend to serve the salad as a whole, go ahead and add the dressing gradually while blending until you get the required consistency. Otherwise, keep the dressing separate and add it one at a time.

THIS IS A THICKER DRESSING that can be easily altered. Reduce the sugar if you like less sweetness. For this salad, I prepare it exactly as is.  

Tips

Dried cranberries can be used in place of the dried cherries, and feta or goat cheese can be used in place of the Gorgonzola/blue cheese.

By changing the sugar content, the dressing is simple to modify. Add a little sugar at a time to achieve the appropriate sweetness if you prefer something less sweet.

Some individuals have used olive oil to make the dressing and have been pleased with the results. Since I have never used olive oil, I cannot tell you whether it alters the flavor of the salad.  Make a tiny batch of olive oil to taste test before using it.  

For a dinner, this salad is delicious with grilled chicken sprinkled on top.

Let me know how the salad turns out if you make it!

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