BLT Salad with Blue Cheese Crumbs

BLT Salad with Blue Cheese Crumbs

this is a very nice creamy salad - perfect summer lunch or light supper or sides to a great steak or bbq chicken! You can use multicolored tomatoes, or a different bread... or lettuce kinds... this is just the basic recipe that can be twisted and tweaked to your liking.
I have made this a few years back once a week in the summer and then forgot about this recipe. While flipping through my cookbooks and recipe piles, to find appropriate and tested recipes for this blog i stumbled across this summer hit - i am glad! As soon as we have good tomatoes i will be making this. Enjoy Alissa

1 pound sliced bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup butter, cubed
4 slices french bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3 to 5 tablespoons minced fresh basil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
6 cups torn romaine
1-1/2 cups grape tomatoes
blue cheese (optional)

Directions:
In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove to paper towels; drain, reserving 2 tablespoons drippings. Set bacon and drippings aside.
In another large skillet, melt butter. Add bread cubes; cook over medium heat for 4-5 minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently. Remove to paper towels; cool.

For dressing, in a small bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, basil, vinegar, pepper, garlic and reserved drippings.

In a large bowl, combine the romaine, tomatoes and bacon. Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat. Top with croutons and blue cheese crumbs if you like.

Yield: 8 servings.