Bacon & Egg Spring Salad for #SundaySupper

This salad was born out of necessity, and now has evolved into something of a delicacy in our house. Just ask my mom. I made it for lunch yesterday for my extended family: sisters, brother-in-law, niece and nephews. My mom, food matriarch who taught me everything I know, proclaimed, "This might be the best salad I've ever tasted." That was pretty cool to hear.


Here's how this perfect-for-this-time-of-year salad became a popular regular: One night last month we were out of the staple ingredients I use for a quick salad to go with dinner. (Namely, black olives and roasted red peppers.) The cupboard was pretty bare for some reason. But I found a can of corn and a can of black beans. So I improvised. I added croutons and we had our salad that night. It was a change of pace and a hit. Then one Saturday, I was tired of just popping a Trader Joe's pizza or making mac and cheese for Peanut for lunch. So I "proteined" up my improvised salad from a few days before, and a star was born.

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. bag of spinach salad
• 2-3 medium chicken breasts
• 4-5 hard-boiled eggs
• 5-6 slices of bacon
• 1 red pepper, quartered
• 2-3 cobs of corn
• 1 small can black beans, washed
• handful of croutons
• 1-2 tbsp. blue cheese dressing

Procedure:

1. Hard-boil the eggs while your grill heats up. Marinate the chicken if you want, with just a little vinaigrette. Grill the corn, red pepper, and chicken. 
2. Microwave the bacon. (Yes, microwave the bacon.) Until crispy. Usually about 5-6 minutes. (I started microwaving it after THIS incident.)
3. Add your beans. Shave the corn off the cob, dice the peppers and cube the chicken. Add all of them
4. Put the salad in a large bowl. Slice the eggs into the salad. Crumble the bacon and croutons on top. Drizzle on the dressing. Toss and serve. Takes 45 minutes.

Making it Peanut-friendly

• Peanut loves salad. And she loves eggs. So this is a hit.
• You can experiment with salad dressing but we found blue cheese goes best with the egg. 
• Since I usually make this on the weekend when there is a hungry child involved, so I used canned corn and don't roast roast the peppers to save time. Chicken is also optional.
• I know I preach healthy meals, and this one involves bacon and blue cheese. So I will say this: I use the good bacon. The real stuff with no added crap in it. All of these ingredients are fresh and real, including the dressing. I will sacrifice low-fat or low-calorie at times when all of the components are good.

Check out these other spring recipes from the #SundaySupper crew:
Breakfast:

• Baked Eggs with Shaved Asparagus and Proscuitto by The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
• Shrimp and Leek Quiche by Gourmet Drizzles
• Spinach and Cheddar Quiche for St. Patrick’s Day Brunch by Supper For A Steal
• Asparagus and Spring Onion Frittatta by Country Girl in the Village
• Savory Crepes with Prawns, Broccoli and Hollandaise Sauce by Masala Herb
• Egg Bake with Spring Onions, Asparagus and Artichokes by The Wimpy Vegetarian

Apps, Bread, Salads, Soups and Dressings:

• Gluten Free Irish Soda Bread by The Meltaways
• Strawberry, Avocado, Spinach Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette by Daily Dish Recipes
• Asparagus Gazpacho by The Not So Cheesy Kitchen
• Spinach Bacon Salad by In The Kitchen with Audrey
• Anchovy and Egg Salad by Pescetarian Journal
• Sweet and Sour Cabbage Soup by Fast Food to Fresh Food
• Asparagus Red Pepper Salad by No One Likes Crumbley Cookies
• White Asparagus & Salmon Spring Salad by Family Foodie
• Chicken-Strawberry Field Green Salad w/Strawberry Balsamic Dressing by The Weekend Gourmet
• Bacon & Egg Spring Salad by Daddy Knows Less
• Green Garbanzo Hummus by Soni’s Food

Main and Sides:

• Pea Shoot Risotto by Small Wallet, Big Appetite
• Creamy Meyer Lemon Pasta by Juanita’s Cocina
• Sweet Ginger Scallion Noodles by What Smells So Good?
• Asparagus Pesto w/Heirloom Fingerlings and Orecchiette by Webicurean
• Coddle for St. Patrick’s Day by Noshing With The Nolands
• Corned Beef Cabbage Rolls by Curious Cuisiniere
• Brown Butter Brussels Sprouts with Gruyère and Hazelnuts by Hip Foodie Mom
• Raw Cucumber Sandwich with Avocado and Spinach Sauce by Mama’s Blissful Bites
• Berry Tacos by Peanut Butter and Peppers
• Asparagus and Prosciutto Bundles by Diabetic Foodie
• Caramelized Grapes and Brie Whole Wheat Galette by Vintage Kitchen
• Pink Water Kimchi (Nabak Kimchi) by Kimchi Mom

Desserts:

• Key Lime Cheesecake by The Foodie Army Wife
• Irish Coffee Ice Cream with Caramel Whiskey Sauce by 30A Eats
• Key Lime Cream Cheese Empanadas by La Cocina de Leslie
• Coconut Raspberry Layer Cake by Gotta Get Baked
• Fresh Mango Berry Mousse With Coconut Cream by Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
• Gluten Free Carrot Cookies by Simply Gourmet
• Chocolate Mint Brownies by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Strawberry Sorbet by Magnolia Days
• Cadbury Creme Egg Pull-Apart Sweet Rolls by Chocolate Moosey
• Strawberry Cheesecake Parfaits by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Meyer Lemon Ice Cream Sandwiches by Cravings of a Lunatic
• Lemon Roll Cake by The Ninja Baker
• Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream by Kudos Kitchen by Renee
• Candied Flowers by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Lemon Citrus Cookies by Mom’s Test Kitchen
• Mini Fruit Tarts by Big Bear’s Wife
• Chocolate Pudding with Irish Cream by Buffy and George
• Faux Fried Ice Cream by Neighborfood
• Watergate Salad by Cupcakes and Pearls Blog
• Good-for-You Strawberry Tiramisu Cheesecake Cups by Cupcakes & Kale Chips

Beverages:

• Guinness Beer Milkshake by The Urban Mrs
• Wines to Pair with Springtime #SundaySupper Dishes by ENOFYLZ Wine Blog
• Irish Spring Tea Party by My Cute Bride
• Fizzy Citrus Cocktails by The Messy Baker