I always seem to be in charge of the green salad for family get-togethers and while I keep a few family faves in my back pocket, sometimes, I feel like mixing it up. For Easter, I was looking for something super easy, since I knew that I would be short on time and energy. (And, thank goodness, because we stayed up way too late the night before watching The Wolf of Wall Street. It’s so good and so long.)
These mini wedge salads popped into my head after doing some Pinterest searching. Not only were they super easy to prep, but they were easy to transport (I brought the wedges pre-cut to dinner, then added the toppings and dressing when it was time to eat) and the fam thought they were tasty (yay!).
Mini Wedge Salads
What you need:
1 Head of iceberg lettuce (yields approximately 8 mini wedge salads)
Blue cheese dressing (I used this Bolthouse Farms Creamy Yogurt Dressing and it was so yummy! I found it near the produce at Target, FYI.)
A half of a red onion, diced
6 Slices of bacon (more is always acceptable) cooked super crisp, then crumbled (I use scissors to cut mine!). Pre-cooked bacon works great if you’re in a rush.
Blue cheese crumbles (about 4 ounces)
2 Tomatoes, seeds and guts removed, diced
Pepper, to taste
Put it together:
1. Start by removing the outside layers of the lettuce. I removed the two outside layers, since you can’t really wash the lettuce and keep it in the shape of a wedge. Kind of gross, but true.
2. Chop off the stem of the lettuce. Cut it in half, then cut each half into quarters. You should end up with eight mini wedges. You might have to play around with how to cut it, depending on the shape of your head of lettuce.
3. I put all of my wedges on a platter to dress and top them, but you can put them right onto salad plates, if you’d like. Whatever you do, place each one on its back with the inside of the lettuce up.
4. I started with the dressing, since I thought it would help make the toppings stick better… and it did. Drizzle a healthy amount of dressing on the top of the wedges, letting it get down in the nooks and crannies.
5. Start topping it with the good stuff! It can be tricky to get it all to stay perfectly perched on top of the lettuce, so apply the toppings generously and smush them down on top of the lettuce a bit, rather than sprinkle them on.
6. Top with a bit of freshly ground pepper and serve!
You could easily change-up the toppings on this salad. Maybe a version with diced pears, gorgonzola, and a balsamic vinaigrette? Keep the bacon, of course.
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