Hmmmm, bacon

I recently looked at my budget on Mint.com (which I signed up for long ago and then completely forgot about, even though I do get weekly e-mails from them - OK, let's be honest, I'm just really lazy about financial matters). Anyways, I realized that I have been spending way too much on eating out. So since I had Friday off and had time to plan and get organized for a visit to the grocery store, I came up with some really good ideas of food to eat. For instance, last night we had filet mignon topped with blue cheese and walnut butter, along with baked buttercup squash and cheddar garlic mashed potatoes. Add some lovely merlot, and you've got yourself a meal my friend.

But what I'm really proud of, and what this post is all about, is this delicious salad I made, topped with warm bacon dressing:



Honestly, I never knew that salad could be so scrumptious. Granted the bacon dressing probably kills any nutritional value of the salad whatsoever, but I have to tell you it is a delightful taste explosion and I loved it.

Spinach Salad w/Warm Bacon Dressing

Spinach
Blue cheese
2 hard boiled eggs, sliced
Grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
Almonds
6 slices bacon
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt

1. So the salad is basically some spinach topped with the blue cheese, sliced eggs, tomatoes and almonds.
   
2. To make the dressing, I cut up the bacon into small pieces first. You could cook whole then crumble. Anyhow, cook the bacon to your desired doneness. Remove from pan, reserving the bacon grease (see this where you know the recipe is going to take a turn for the un-healthy).
3. Cook the onion in the reserved bacon grease until tender. Stir in the bacon, sugar and salt. Keep stirring until the dressing thickens a bit, then spoon over the salad.

Deliciousness!

There's probably enough dressing there for 5-6 salads, depending on how much you like bacon. We had for dinner on Friday night, but had enough left over dressing to have it for lunch again on Saturday. I just stuck the dressing in the fridge Friday night and then put it in the microwave for about 1 minute 30 seconds the next day, and it tasted just as delectable.