BLT Caesar Salad – aka, our House Favorite “BLT-aesar”

This BLT Caesar Salad (or, “BLT-aesar” Salad as we fondly refer to it in our house) is a knock-out for anyone who loves a wonderfully bold Caesar. And if you happen to love BLTs as much as I do, you’ll fall more in love with this salad with every bite!

I often make this BLT Caesar Salad with grilled Romaine. It’s a wonderful thing when the lettuce is warm and lightly charred and wilted on the outside, but still slightly chilled but still crisp on the inside. The grilled flavors are wonderful with this dressing!

How To Grill Romaine for BLT-aesar BLT Caesar Salads

If you’ve never grilled Romaine lettuce before, I know the idea sounds kind of odd, but I promise it’s easy and really delicious. Here’s how:

Cut the Romaine heads in half
Brush the halves with olive oil, and season with salt & pepper to taste
Grill over medium-high heat – 15 seconds to 1 minute or more per side (depending on how charred and wilted you want it)
Remove from heat. Roughly chop the grilled Romaine or serve the halves – whichever you prefer
Dress the lettuce by either tossing or drizzling. Add the bacon, tomatoes, croutons, and fresh shaved Parm on top. Grind a little more fresh black pepper if you like, and Enjoy!

But I also enjoy a FRESH salad on the regular, and my friends at REVOL GREENS have some fantastically fresh Romaine mixes that I love!

This recipe was produced in partnership with REVOL GREENS – Minnesota grown, 365 days a year.

REVOL GREENS provides the freshest, best-tasting lettuce, grown locally and sustainably without the use of pesticides, herbicides or other harsh chemicals. They’re great products that I personally enjoy and am always happy to serve. They’re grown locally and available in stores within a day or two which means fresher, healthier, longer lasting greens for us to enjoy!

I mean, JUST LOOK AT THIS BLT CAESAR SALAD!

What You’ll Need to make this BLT Caesar Salad (aka, “BLT-aesar Salad”)

Bacon
Cherry tomatoes
Romaine lettuce *and/or* mixed greens
Anchovies (oil packed)
Garlic
Mayonnaise *OR* 2 large egg yolks
Lemon zest and juice
Dijon mustard
Olive oil
Vegetable oil
Parmesan cheese
Kosher salt
Black pepper
Garlic powder (optional)
Baguette or a loaf of crusty bread

By the way… This BLT Caesar Salad is a great way to use up any leftover baguette or other rustic bread that you might have on hand!

Suggested Kitchen Tools & Serving Pieces

Rimmed baking sheets
Parchment paper
Large serving bowl
Salad tongs/servers
Flexible spatula

I could eat this weekly. It’s definitely a hearty salad – totally main course worthy. The beauty of it is that it’s never the same twice, and it’s delicious any time of year.

We all have our own recipe methods and preferences, and after making this salad countless times, these are mine. Although this is an easy recipe, I’ve spelled out the steps below in entirely too much detail (as I often do), so you can decide how YOU want to make it.

Please note, specifically, the options for:

The Lettuce:

2 – 3 heads of Romaine lettuce – fresh or grilled, *and/or* a combination of Romaine and 4 – 5 oz. mixed greens. This is a “one” or “the other” suggestion just because I’m all about options.

The Dressing:

2 Tbsp. prepared mayonnaise *OR* 2 large egg yolks. This is for anyone who dislikes using egg yolks, is making the dressing the day before, or just wants a little short-cut. This recipe works – and is totally delicious – either way.

ENJOY!

BLTaesar BLT Caesar Salad - BaconFatte.com

5 from 1 vote

BLT Caesar Salad (aka, BLT-aesar)

This salad is a great combination of classic Caesar + BLT flavors. It's a welcome addition to any table, any time of year!

Servings 4 servings

Author Michele Phillips, BaconFatte.com

Ingredients

Main Ingredients

1 pound bacon, cooked and chopped (drippings reserved*)
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
2 - 3 heads of Romaine lettuce, chopped
*and/or* a combination of Romaine and 4 – 5 oz. mixed greens

For the Dressing

6 - 8 fillets anchovies - packed in oil, lightly drained
3 - 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 Tablespoon mayonnaise
*OR* 2 large egg yolks, whisked
zest of ½ large lemon
2 - 4 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice (to taste)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 Tablespoons olive oil + 2 Tablespoons for croutons
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup fresh, finely grated Parmesan + more for serving
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper - to taste

For the Croutons

3 cups baguette or crusty bread, roughly chopped into 1” chunks
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Pinches of salt, pepper and/or garlic powder – to taste

Instructions

BACON: Cook or bake to your preference. (*see NOTES below for baking).
TOMATOES: Halve or quarter cherry tomatoes, and set aside.
DRESSING: In a small glass mixing bowl, add the anchovies, finely chopped garlic, and a sprinkle of salt. Combine well and “mash” with a flexible spatula to form a paste. Add the2 T. of mayonnaise *OR* 2 egg yolks, lemon juice and zest, and Dijon, and combine. Slowly drizzle and whisk in the olive oil and vegetable oil, and keep whisking until dressing is smooth and creamy. Whisk in the grated Parmesan. Taste, and then season with salt and pepper.
*If a thinner consistency is desired, add more lemon juice or water.
*Dressing can be made the day before.
CROUTONS: Preheat oven to375°.
Chop or tear crusty bread into 1” pieces.
In a small bowl, combine 2 T. olive oil with pinches of salt, pepper, and garlic powder (optional).
Place the bread chunks on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle the seasoned olive oil over the bread chunks, toss lightly to coat, and then spread the seasoned bread chunks out evenly on the pan.
Bake (and toss occasionally) until golden brown – about 10–15 minutes.
*If you baked the bacon per the NOTES below, use one of the rimmed sheet pans (after scraping bacon drippings into a bowl) to make the croutons.
LETTUCE: If using Romaine heads, tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces. If using Romaine and mixed greens, toss them together.
TO SERVE: In a large salad bowl, add the Romaine and/or mixed greens. Drizzle in some (or all) of the dressing, and toss well. Toss in crumbled bacon, and croutons, shave* some fresh Parm on top, and add a few grinds of black pepper. Serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

RECIPE MAKES: 4 - 6 Servings

BACON: If you dread frying bacon, BAKE IT! Pre-heat the oven to 400°F. Line 2 rimmed baking pan with parchment paper, and lay the strips of bacon on the parchment. Bake at 400°F for 10 – 20 minutes, or until bacon is as “’done” as you like it. Move cooked bacon back to a paper towel lined plate until you’re ready to chop and add it to the salad.
BACON DRIPPINGS: Save the bacon drippings for future dishes! Allow it to cool, then strain by scraping drippings through a strainer into a small air-tight container. Refrigerate up to three months, or freeze to keep longer.
PARMESAN SUGGESTIONS: Fine, freshly grated Parm is best to mix into the dressing itself. But consider adding some freshly shaved Parm over the top to serve for “pops” of flavor. You can quickly and easily shave the Parm with a potato or vegetable peeler!

MAKING THIS “BLT-aesar” BLT CAESAR SALAD RECIPE?

I’d love to know! Please leave a note here on the blog in the comments below, and share your creations on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and/or Twitter!

Use the hashtag #baconfatte and tag @baconfatte in your social media posts — I’d love to see them!