Southwest Recipe

Wash and chop lettuce

Rinse the romaine leaves under cold water, shake off excess water, then dry thoroughly. Chop or tear into bite-sized pieces to yield approximately 6 cups and place in a large salad bowl.

Prepare vegetables

Drain cooked or thawed corn if using frozen and let cool to room temperature. Core, seed, and dice the green bell pepper into small 1/4-inch pieces to measure 1/2 cup. Peel and finely dice the red onion to measure 1/4 cup. Dice the tomato into 1/2-inch pieces to make about 1 cup. Add the corn, green pepper, red onion, and tomato to the bowl with the chopped romaine and toss lightly to combine.

Cook and crumble bacon

Cook 4 slices of bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 8–10 minutes, turning as needed. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, let cool slightly, then crumble or chop into small pieces. Set aside.

Shred cheese and gather tortilla strips

Shred cheddar-jack cheese if not pre-shredded to yield 1 cup. Measure out 1 cup of crispy tortilla strips and set both aside to top the salad just before serving to retain crunch.

In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup sour cream and 1/4 cup buttermilk until smooth. Stir in 1/4 cup prepared salsa, 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning or lime for tang. If the dressing is too thick, add additional buttermilk 1 teaspoon at a time until it reaches desired pourable consistency. Refrigerate until ready to use (at least 10 minutes for flavors to meld).

Just before serving, give the romaine and vegetables a light toss. Drizzle about half of the salsa ranch dressing over the salad (use more or less to taste) and gently toss to coat evenly.

Top the dressed salad with the crumbled bacon, shredded cheddar-jack cheese and crispy tortilla strips, distributing evenly across the surface.

Serve immediately with remaining dressing on the side. If preparing in advance, store dressing separately and add tortilla strips at the last minute to maintain crispness.