Overnight Salad
This Baby’s an “Overnight Success”
The best part is you can make it the day before you
entertain, giving you more time to be with your guests and enjoy your drinks
(whoo-hoo).
Many years ago, a friend shared this recipe with me, and it
has been a favorite at my BBQs and other get-togethers ever since.
The longer this baby sits in the refrigerator, the better it
tastes. But I'm talking about a day or two, no longer. Any longer than that,
and you can submit it to become one of your kid's science projects.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb.
regular bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 1 head
of Iceberg lettuce, shredded
- 1
small head of cauliflower, broken up into small florets
- 1
medium white onion, julienned or thinly sliced
- 1 cup
mayonnaise (I prefer Hellman’s)
- ¼ cup
sugar
- 1/3
cup Parmesan cheese
- ½
teaspoon salt
How To Make It:
- Here's
how to prepare the bacon: Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place
strips of bacon onto the baking sheet. Put it in a cold oven. Why a cold
oven? The fat will render off the bacon as the heat slowly rises.
- Turn
the heat on to 400 degrees and cook for about 15 minutes. The degree of
crispiness that you like will determine whether you cook them for more
than 15 minutes or not.
- Remove
from the baking sheet and drain on paper towels. Crumble the bacon and set
it aside. (If you enjoy cleaning up bacon spatter reminiscent of the Exxon
Valdez from your stovetop, counters, and floors, then frying bacon in a
pan on the stovetop is for you.)
- Place
the lettuce, cauliflower, and onion in layers in a salad bowl. Start with
lettuce at the bottom, then add cauliflower, and finally, the onion.
- In a
large measuring cup, mix the mayonnaise, sugar, Parmesan cheese, and salt
to make an incredible dressing.
- Pour
the dressing on top of the salad evenly. DO NOT mix at this point.
- Sprinkle
the crumbled bacon on top of your masterpiece, seal the salad bowl with
plastic wrap, and place it in the refrigerator.
- Let it
sit overnight and let “the magic” happen. All the flavors will blend to
make a wonderful overnight taste sensation.
- Mix well
before you serve.
Feel free to add your favorite additions to this salad, such
as hard-boiled eggs, beets, carrots, etc. The sky's the limit. Believe me, this
salad is delicious and nutritious!