How To Make Spinach Cobb Salad With Hot Bacon Dressing | Rachael Ray

bacon

🥗Healthier: turkey bacon

💰Cheaper: pancetta

Turkey bacon is lower in fat, while pancetta provides a similar flavor.

blue cheese

🥗Healthier: feta cheese

💰Cheaper: goat cheese

Feta is lower in calories, while goat cheese is often less expensive.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Place 6 pieces of bacon on a baking sheet and bake until super crisp and deeply golden, without flipping.

Remove the bacon and cut it into large bacon bits.

Finely chop the remaining bacon from the package, optionally chilling it in the freezer for a few minutes for easier chopping.

In a nonstick skillet, heat a little oil over medium-high heat and char the trimmed scallions.

In another pan, heat olive oil to brown 3/4 pound to 1 pound of cremini mushrooms, letting them brown before adding salt.

Once the mushrooms are browned, add a couple tablespoons of fresh thyme and remove them from the pan.

In the same skillet used for the mushrooms, add a drizzle of olive oil and the finely chopped bacon to render the fat for the dressing.

Season the bacon with black pepper and add shallots and 1-2 cloves of garlic.

Add a pinch of nutmeg to the mixture.

Pour in about a third of a cup of cider vinegar, keeping your head back as you do so.

Add a few tablespoons of sweet hot mustard to the dressing mixture.

Wilt the spinach in the dressing, turning off the heat while ensuring the greens remain slightly crunchy.

Assemble the salad with the crispy bacon, smoked chicken, charred scallions, blue cheese, and mushrooms.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens