Lynne Tolley from Miss Mary Bobo’s made a Spinach and Beet Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing and Cornbread Croutons. For more information about Miss Mary Bobo's Boarding House in Lynchburg, or to make reservations, call (931) 759-7394.
Baby Spinach and Beet Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing
1 lb baby spinach
1 to 2 cups sliced beets, drained if necessary
6 slices bacon
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
2 tsp sugar
3 Tbs cider vinegar
2 Tbs Jack Daniel’s whiskey
Salt & pepper, to taste
Blue cheese crumbles, optional
Croutons
Combine the spinach & beets in a salad bowl. Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove, cool, and crumble. Add the onion and sugar to the drippings in the skillet and cook until the onion is tender. Stir in the vinegar and whiskey. Cook and stir until slightly thickened. Pour over the spinach and beets, and season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Sprinkle with the crumbled bacon, blue cheese, and croutons. Serve immediately.
Makes 8 servings.
Tip: you can buy cooked, vacuum packaged, refrigerated beets in grocery stores; these have a better flavor than canned beets.
I use cornbread croutons that I make by cutting day old cornbread into cubes, toss in bowl with couple of tablespoons of olive oil, salt & pepper. Then bake in medium oven until golden and crunchy. Cool.
