The first time I had this salad was at Paula Davis’ home. She served it with a Mexican cornbread for a light dinner before a squadron party. I was so happy that she put the recipe in the 1984 version of the 612 TFS cookbook. Paula is an excellent cook; all of her recipes are worth saving. Paula is one of the many inspiring, good cooks I met as a young woman, long before we were into cooking in a big way.
It made you feel special to be invited to her home and partake of something interesting that she’d prepared. I’d have to put our friends Mike and Jeannie in the same category. They often invite us for an adventurous Sunday dinner. The meal always included something I’d never tried before, and left you thinking of all kinds of new possibilities. I still have the handwritten recipe for Bananas Foster that I copied after we sampled it in their home.
This salad is the sort of dish that makes people feel you’ve done something special for them. I especially love that it’s intended to be prepared in advance. The only thing to do when it’s time to serve is give it a quick toss. If you’d like to use a more nutritious lettuce, consider Romaine; it still adds a nice crunch.
This is ideal for a potluck contribution. It travels well and is just different enough to get noticed in a long line of green salads. Paula served this with cornbread, but I might put it together with a homemade tomato soup for the proverbial soup and salad combo.
Enjoy!
Lois
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Cauliflower ~ Bacon Salad
- Category: Salad
- Cuisine: American
Description
Lots of flavor and crunch in this make ahead salad
Ingredients
- 1 medium head cauliflower
- 1 small head iceberg lettuce, shredded (substitute Romaine, if you like)
- 1 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 2 – 4 T. sugar
- 1/4 grated parmesan cheese
- 1 c. mayo (I used half light and regular)
Instructions
- Wash cauliflower; remove green leaves and break into flowerets
- In a large bowl, layer cauliflower, then lettuce
- Combine sugar, mayo and parmesan cheese, spread over lettuce
- Top with crumbled bacon
- Chill
- Toss lightly before serving
Julie
This was also an awesome salad – and I just happen to have that cookbook on my shelf.