Iceberg Wedge with Warm Bacon & Blue Cheese Dressing

It was one day a few weeks ago I noticed a chunk of Gorgonzola cheese in my refrigerator. I do really like Gorgonzola, and always have intentions of using it all whenever I buy a small wedge. I had about ¾ of a cup left over and needed a use for it. A stroll through my “to-try” recipes, and this popped up. Ah . . . crumbled blue (for me, Gorgonzola), bacon, red onion and a zesty mayo-based dressing. Sounded good to me. The recipe came from Bon Appetit in 2006, which you can find online.

A short bit of advice about Gorgonzola: until I took a class from an Italian chef, I didn't realize that when you buy Gorgonzola you definitely want to buy it when it's freshly cut from the big wedge, as you can start counting the days from that point, that it will last. Gorgonzola has a very short shelf life. If you see even a smidgin of mold inside the wrapper, don't buy it.

Nothing much was changed in my preparation of this salad – I used some less bacon than called for, and I didn’t have iceberg, but Romaine. The dressing is just mayo with fresh lemon juice, pepper, and a dash or two of Tabasco or hot chili sauce. I thinned the dressing down some – it was too thick. The recipe just calls for “buttermilk,” and you use your own judgment . . . about 1-2 tablespoons should be sufficient. You want the dressing to be more like pouring quality, so I did have to add something. Since I didn’t have buttermilk on hand, I used some milk instead.

The salad is easy. It’s definitely GOOD. This isn’t a “wow” kind of recipe – just simple, delicious homey food. Next time I might add just a touch of sour cream to the dressing, just to see if it would be a good addition.

Iceberg Wedge with Warm Bacon and Blue Cheese Dressing
Recipe By: Bon Appetit, January 2006
Serving Size: 6
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise -- can use fat-free
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1 cup blue cheese -- coarsely crumbled [or Gorgonzola]
1 tablespoon buttermilk -- optional
1/2 pound thick-sliced bacon -- cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
1 head iceberg lettuce -- cut into 6 wedges, each with some core attached, or Romaine
1/2 red onion -- very thinly sliced [or green onions]
1. Mix first 4 ingredients in medium bowl. Add blue cheese and stir until well blended. If too thick, thin with buttermilk by tablespoonfuls to desired consistency. Can be made one day ahead. Cover and chill.
2. Cook bacon in large skillet over medium heat until golden brown and beginning to crisp. Arrange lettuce on plates. Spoon dressing over. Using slotted spoon, transfer warm bacon from skillet onto salads, dividing equally. Garnish with onion. NOTES : You don't use all the dressing, so the calorie count is way off.
Per Serving (not correct per serving): 700 Calories; 71g Fat (87.7% calories from fat); 17g Protein; 5g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 66mg Cholesterol; 1212mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 7 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.
Printer-friendly PDF recipe.