Italian BLT Bread Salad

SERVES: 6

PREP: 10 Min

COOK TIME: 5 Min

Our BLT salad recipe combines America's love of bacon with a traditional taste of Italy. A lighter dish with just as much bold bacon flavor, our Italian BLT Bread Salad will be a fast favorite among the gang. An easy to prepare recipe with a quick cook time, this is a new twist on a classic BLT taste.

What You'll Need

1 (8-ounce) Italian or French bread loaf, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1/2 pound fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 cup olive oil-and-balsamic vinegar dressing
1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
2 green onions, sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 cups chopped romaine lettuce
10 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

What to Do

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place bread chunks on a baking sheet, and bake at 400 degrees 5 minutes or until lightly toasted.
Combine mozzarella and dressing in a shallow dish or resealable plastic bag; cover or seal, and chill 1 hour.
Toss together bread, olives, next 4 ingredients, and mozzarella mixture. Let stand 20 minutes. Serve over lettuce, and sprinkle with crumbled bacon.

Notes

Howard has some great advice on cooking bacon! These videos on How to: Fry Bacon, How to: Cook Bacon in the Oven, and How To: Cook Bacon in the Microwave offer a variety methods to make sure you get the flavor you're looking for!
If you're looking for more BLT options, check out these scrumptious BLT Rollups or delicious Dressed-Up BLT Sliders!
Fun Fact!
- According to food historian John Mariani, the BLT is the second most popular sandwich in the United States!