Chopped Wedge Recipe

Prepare lettuce

Remove any wilted outer leaves from the iceberg head. Rinse under cold water and pat dry thoroughly. Cut the head into 1–1.5 inch chunks (chopped wedge style) so pieces are bite-size but retain crunch. Place in a large mixing bowl and chill briefly while preparing other components.

Cook bacon

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and place a wire rack on top if available. Arrange the Nueske's bacon slices on the rack (or directly on the foil) without overlapping. Bake 12–16 minutes, turning once if desired, until crisp but not burned. Drain on paper towels, then roughly chop into 1/2-inch pieces.

Prep vegetables and herbs

While the bacon cooks, halve the cherry tomatoes and place in a bowl. Thinly slice the red onion and then chop into fine slivers to yield about 1/4 cup. Thinly slice the scallion greens. Chop the parsley. Add tomatoes, onion, scallions and parsley to the chilled lettuce. Season the salad mixture with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper and toss lightly to combine.

Assemble

Place the chopped iceberg mixture onto serving plates or a single large platter. Scatter the chopped bacon evenly over the top. Drizzle or toss with desired amount of bleu cheese dressing (see dressing directions). Serve additional dressing on the side.

Make the dressing: In a medium bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream and buttermilk and whisk until smooth. Add lemon juice, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, salt and black pepper; whisk to combine.

Fold in blue cheese: Crumble or chop the blue cheese into small pieces and fold about half into the dressing for a creamy base, reserving the rest for garnish. If you prefer a thinner dressing, whisk in an additional 1–2 tablespoons of buttermilk until you reach desired consistency.

Adjust and chill: Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper or more lemon as needed. Cover and refrigerate at least 15 minutes to meld flavors (can be made up to 2 days ahead).