Little confession: I really don’t like greens all that much.
I know, I know…..*hangs head in shame*
The only way I really enjoy greens is when I can’t taste them.
In other words, I only really enjoy greens when I drench them in this warm bacon dressing.
Warm. Bacon. Dressing.
Need I say more?
This recipe came to be because I joined a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) this year. Side note – CSA’s are AWESOME! You should totally look into joining one, too, if you have the opportunity. I love being able to support my local farms and get this amazing, chemical free, non-GMO produce and pasture raised meats.
But anyway, my CSA kept sending me these greens. Week after week. Blechy greens. As beautiful as these greens were, I just didn’t enjoy the taste of them. I knew I had to figure out some way to make these greens more enjoyable besides hiding them in my morning breakfast shake (see that recipe HERE – it’s a good one).
And this warm bacon dressing was my answer!
And it’s a great thing to do with leftover bacon fat.
So go make it and then fill up your plate with a big ‘ol pile of greens. Don’t be scared. You’ll enjoy it, I promise!
- ⅓ cup bacon fat, warmed
- ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- Whisk all ingredients together and serve.
- Enjoy over salad greens, eggs, vegetables or even different kinds of meat!
Must be warmed before using.
Trying this tonight. Review to follow. (^_~)
Well, I have to level with ya, Kelly. I might be in love with this dressing. AND my husband is actually eating his salad! Not just eating it – literally SHOVELING it into his mouth! Hooray! \(^_^)/
LOL! 😀 Yay!!!
When you said you didn’t like greens very much, that caught my attention. I don’t either. And salad dressing with bacon fat? Didn’t sound too appealing. But I bought a container of organic mixed greens this morning, made your recipe, and had a salad for lunch. I gave some to my partner — who is a retired food chemist and in fact developed a line of salad dressings for a major company. We are both very particular when it comes to dressings, but we both agree, this recipe is a winner! It was so good I plan to serve it to guests tonight who are coming for dinner.
So happy to hear, Linda! Thank you so much for your comment!
My mother-in-law made a similar dressing half a century ago but included a half pound of bacon as well. it was made similar to gravy, and served over a chopped head of “endive” which was actually a narrow-curly leaved green found in the salad section at walmart. In PA they call it endive but it’s not the wide leaved french endive.
Her dressing involved cutting a half pound of bacon crosswise into narrow bits and frying it out to get the bacon fat. remove the bacon before it gets to dark, then whip an egg, two tablespoons of flour and two tablespoons of vinegar. pour slowly into the fat in the pan stirring the while with a whisk. as it thickens keep adding milk til you get a light gravy consistency. Add the bacon bits back in and pour hot over the chopped greens and stir until coated. allow to wilt and place on table. serve over boiled or whipped potatoes.
That sounds awesome!! Thanks for sharing, Kitty!
Do you think it would still taste okay if I used red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar instead of the ACV? I’m allergic to ACV, but would love to try this recipe!
Yes, that would be a great substitute!
Is this a Paleo recipe?
it is, Robyn!
Baking some chicken legs in it now. Excited to see how it turns out.
oooo! I love that idea!
Made this tonight, totally forgetting that I was out of fresh garlic. I threw in some prepared horseradish instead and it came out amazing. Can’t wait to make it again, with garlic this time 😉
ooo! Now I want to try it with horseradish!! haha!
I don’t often eat bacon these days, but I have a couple of jars filled with bacon grease that are some months old, is it still OK to use them? Would like to try this 🙂
Hi Jennifer! I use my bacon grease that’s a few months old for this, so I say yes, go for it!
Thanks, I guess it’s one of those things that doesn’t go bad 🙂
Sounds very high in calories though 🙁
This recipe is perfect! I have never made this in bold only small amounts for a salad or two. How long have you kept this in the refrigerator for? Thanks for sharing this I love your website 🙂
Thank you, Sarah! This dressing will last for months and months and months in the fridge! Both bacon grease and ACV lasts for a VERY long time, especially if kept cold. This dressing will harden in the fridge, though, so it will need to be lightly warmed when you need it.
Is this one serving size or would 2tbsp be a serving size?
I modified this recipes a little. Instead of using salad greens I blanched and cut up 2 lbs of broccoli along with half a red onion finely chopped. I used 1/2 cup of bacon drippings and a little less than 1/2 cup AC vinegar. To that 1/2 cup of vinegar I added enough balsamic vinegar to bring it up to 1/2 cup. I used a 1 1/2 tablespoons of mustard, about 2 tablespoons of Manuka honey and a teaspoon of garlic powder. After whisking it altogether, pour over broccoli, chopped onion and finely chopped bacon. I made this for Christmas but it’s going to be so tempting to not dip into beforehand.
That sounds so amazing, Shari and I can’t wait to try it! Thank you for all your tips!!!