BLT in a Bowl with Gorgonzola Dressing

One thing I crave all summer is a BLT Sandwich. We eat them at least twice a week when we have home grown tomatoes. I love topping mine with a little gorgonzola and basil.  It tastes amazing. I decided I would try making a salad version of my sandwich, with homemade Gorgonzola dressing. It's now a favorite at our house. This dressing is also delish with as a dipping sauce for spicy chicken wings, or drizzled over barbecued steak.

If you aren't a fan of blue cheese, this salad I s also really good with my lemon parmesan vinaigrette.

For the dressing:

1/3 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

1/3 cup good quality mayonnaise (I use Hellmans or Best Foods)

1 clove garlic grated , (use a microplane or the smallest holes on a grater)

1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon Worchestershire 

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon honey 

1 tablespoon milk

Place all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until smooth.  Pour into a mason jar and store in the refrigerator until ready to use. 

For the salad:

1 bag prepared romaine lettuce

1 avacado, diced

1/2 carton cherry tomatoes, cut each in half

4 green onions, white part only, minced fine

1/2 package herbed croutons

6 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped

1/3 cup pecans, chopped and toasted

2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped fine

To serve, combine all of the salad ingredients in a large mixing bowl along with 1/3 of the dressing and toss.  Check the taste and add more dressing to your liking. 

If you want to kick it up a notch, add a tablespoon of bbq sauce to the salad before mixing. I love the mix of sweet and savory. 

Serves 4-6