Bacon & Blu Recipe

Prepare lettuce

Wash romaine hearts thoroughly, spin or pat dry, then chop into bite-sized pieces. Transfer to a large salad bowl and chill briefly while preparing other components.

Prepare tomatoes and onion

Halve the grape tomatoes and thinly slice the red onion. Add both to the bowl with the romaine.

Add cheeses and bacon

Crumble goat cheese over the salad. Dice cooked bacon into 1/2-inch pieces and scatter evenly over the salad. Toss gently to combine just before dressing.

In a medium bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream and buttermilk. Whisk until smooth and slightly thickened.

Add crumbled blue cheese, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, salt, pepper, and honey (if using). Stir gently to incorporate, leaving some blue cheese chunks for texture. Taste and adjust seasoning — add more buttermilk for a thinner consistency or a pinch more salt if needed.

If you prefer an ultra-smooth dressing, pulse the mixture briefly in a food processor or blender, but avoid fully pureeing the blue cheese if you want texture. Chill the dressing for at least 10 minutes to meld flavors, or up to 2 hours covered in the refrigerator.

Remove the salad bowl from the refrigerator. Drizzle 3 to 4 tablespoons of the blue cheese dressing over the salad (about 1 to 1.5 tablespoons per serving) and toss gently to coat. Add more dressing to taste. Garnish with extra crumbled blue cheese and chopped chives or parsley, if desired.

Serve immediately so the romaine stays crisp. Leftover dressing will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.