BLT Sandwich Salad

This salad is as fresh and tasty as it sounds. From the homemade croutons to the homemade dressing, this salad was a hit at our house. Do you know what the best part was though? The caramelized bacon. Yes, caramelized and sooo delicious. It was really the star of the show. I'm pretty sure I would buy a bag of caramelized bacon bits and eat them as a snack if they sold them in stores. Holy cow, total life-changing cooking moment happened when I tasted that bacon. So yummy.

BLT Sandwich Salad 
Adapted from Food Network's Sunny Anderson 

For the salad:

                  1 head romaine or iceberg lettuce, thinly sliced (about 6 cups)

                  2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped

                  4 slices white bread

                  1 Tbsp. unsalted butter

                   

For the bacon:

                  1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

                  1/2 tsp. black pepper

                  6-8 strips uncooked bacon

                   

For the dressing:

                  1/2 cup mayonnaise

                  2 Tbsp. maple syrup

                  4 tsp. mustard 

                  1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

                   

1.    Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Combine the lettuce and tomatoes in a large bowl; set aside.

2.    Meanwhile, cut the bread into crouton-size cubes. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the bread cubes and toast, tossing, until golden, about 6 minutes. Set aside to cool.

3.    Make the bacon: Mix the brown sugar and pepper in a small bowl. Add the bacon and press to coat on both sides. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper then lay down the strips of bacon. Bake until the bacon is caramelized and crisp, about 20 minutes. Let cool slightly on the baking sheet. Cut the bacon into bite-size bits using scissors; add to the bowl with the lettuce.

4.    Make the dressing: Whisk the mayonnaise, syrup, mustard and lemon juice in a medium bowl.