BLT Salad with Bacon ‘Roses’ and a Cilantro Avocado Cream Dressing
While embracing the playful childhood favorite of the BLT, this salad version dresses up the presentation for a fun occasion, and swaps the Miracle Whip for a creamy cilantro and avocado dressing that balances the salty bacon perfectly!
True love is understanding your partner’s love language. Yup, I said it. This may come as a shock to you, but not everyone feels love with a dozen roses or diamond necklace, nor does that cure every fight. For some this may, for others love is shared through quality time, acts of service, or….bacon. Whether you have been together for many years and looking to mix up the habitual dinner, or newly coupled up and keeping it creative and spontaneous, this is a fun dish to surprise your sweetheart with that not only looks playful and a spoof on traditional romanticism, but tastes delicious!
“You’d be surprised how much it costs to look this cheap!”-Dolly Parton. I’m always a fan of looking behind the scenes, on both ends of the spectrum. At times it blows my mind how much effort and specialty equipment is used to make something so simple, and also, how easy it can be to produce a beautiful and complex dish with everyday basics. You don’t need to have a Michelin star kitchen to have great presentation! In this dish, I used a muffin tin to hold together the bacon as it cooked, keeping the tomatoes nicely rolled up, and the tops exposed to create a nice crisp, brown edge. To add a bit of fancy decoration with the dressing, this is no more complex than scooping your dressing into a plastic zip sandwich bag and slicing the tip off the corner, then piping on with any design you’d like. I love the corny factor in this ‘romantic’ dish, and would highly recommend playing this up with Frank Sinatra in the background and candle sticks on the table for a real fancy date night!
What is your special occasion meal? Bonus points if it has a humorous or creative element!
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Enjoy!
BLT Salad with Bacon ‘Roses’ and a Cilantro Avocado Cream Dressing
Equipment
- Kitchen knife
- Immersion blender
- Muffin Tin
- Piping Tube or Plastic Bag (optional for serving)
- Mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 4 handfuls Salad Greens I used spinach
- 10 medium Tomatoes on Vine Could use cherry, I just preferred a little larger
- 2 medium Avocadoes
- 5 strips Bacon
- 1/2 juice Fresh Lemon
- 1 clove Garlic
- 1 tbsp Mayonaisse
- 1 tbsp Sour Cream
- 2 sprigs Fresh Cilantro (optional) Could also use basil or fresh parsley
- Salt and Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350. Slice each strip of bacon in half and roll each tomato inside a strip of bacon. Place in muffin tin slots to hold them in place. Put in oven to bake until bacon is crisp, about 15 minutes. *note, check frequently as liquid may form. I removed liquid from each slot about halfway through to avoid too much grease.
- While the bacon roses are cooking, in the mixing bowl, combine mayo, sour cream, one of the avocadoes, lemon juice, minced garlic, salt and pepper. If using cilantro or other herbs, also add in, loosely chopped.
- Using the immersion blender, blend until smooth. Adjust seasoning to taste. If a creamier dressing is desired, add a splash or cream or warm water to dilute.
- Spoon dressing into a plastic sandwich bag, seal, and store in the fridge until ready to use (this step can be done ahead of time!).
- Remove bacon roses and carefully using a tongs or two forks, remove from the muffin tin and set on a paper towel to absorb excess liquid.
- Plate each dish with a half of the mixed greens. Taking out the plastic dressing bag, cut off the corner of the bag and 'pipe' onto the greens in a creative decoration (have fun with this!). Place half of the roses on each plate and slice the avocado for garnish. Could also garnish with additional cilantro or fresh herbs. Enjoy!
