Salade de Maison

The recipe for Salade de Maison was given to me by our good friends, Ann and Scott.  They make it every year for our Thanksgiving dinners together and the first time I tried the salad, I was hooked.  I didn’t grow up eating salad with Thanksgiving dinner, but the savory combination of bacon, almonds, and cheese compliment everything on a traditional Thanksgiving menu so well.

And do you want to hear a neat story? When we first moved to Seattle, Ann was one of the first people I met – and I felt like I’d known her all my life. As we got to know each other better, we realized we both grew up in Salt Lake City, went to the University of Utah, and had the same great-great-great-great grandparents (Joseph and Polly Knight from Vermont). What are the chances of that?! Through the years, we’ve carted each other’s kids all around the city, Scott teaches me about all things bbq, and they truly have become family. I think some friends are meant to be.❤️

Here’s how to make their famous salad!

The Toppings

Here’s a suggested ratio of everything in the salad, but feel free to add more or less of something according to your own personal tastes.

Bacon and Almonds

If there is a way to double-task in the kitchen, I’m all in. I found that I could streamline the topping prep by toasting the almonds and baking the bacon at the same time.

Line a foil pan with foil and lay 8 ounces of bacon on it.

Bake at 425 for 10-15 minutes until crispy. The thickness of the bacon will have a lot to do with how quickly it bakes, so start checking at 10 minutes and add more time if necessary. Once cooled, chop the bacon into bite-sized pieces

On a separate baking sheet, scatter 1/2 cup of slivered almonds.

Bake at 425 for 4-5 minutes until toasty and slightly brown. Almonds can go from toasted to burned pretty quickly, so keep a close eye on them.

Remove the almonds from the baking sheet (to stop the cooking process) and set aside until needed.

The Cheeses

Jarlsberg and Kraft Parmesan (the kind in the green bottle) really spread the cheese spectrum, but both have a place in this recipe. I used 1/2 cup of shredded Jarlsberg and 1/3 cup of shredded Parmesan, but adjust the ratios to what you like best.

Lemon and Garlic Dressing

The dressing for this salad is really straight forward. If you have a mini food processor, it will make quick work of the recipe; if you don’t, just mince the garlic and shake everything together really well in a large lidded jar.

Lettuce

Salade de Maison (which is French for House Salad) only uses one kind of lettuce – red leaf lettuce. Chop 2 heads of lettuce into bite-sized pieces and clean thoroughly.

If you have a salad spinner, it will make really quick work of this step. My favorite salad spinner is made by OXO.

Assemble the salad just before serving. Enjoy!

Salade de Maison

2 heads red leaf lettuce, washed and chopped into bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
8 ounces bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup Jarlsberg cheese, shredded
1/3 cup Kraft Parmesan cheese

Dressing:
4 cloves of garlic, minced
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
1 cup vegetable oil

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 F to cook the bacon and toast the almonds at the same time. Spread 8 ounces of bacon on a foil-lined pan and bake until crispy (10-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of your bacon). Once cooled, chop into bite-sized pieces. On a separate baking sheet, scatter 1/2 cup of slivered almonds and toast for 4-5 minutes until golden and toasty. Remove the almonds immediately from the baking sheet and let cool.

Dressing: If using a mini-food processor, place the garlic cloves, lemon juice, salt and pepper together and pulse until finely chopped. Add the oil in a steady stream and process until well combined. If using a lidded jar, mince the garlic and add all ingredients to the jar and shake vigorously until combined. This dressing can be made ahead of time, but will separate and needs to be shaken again just before serving.

Assemble the salad and drizzle with dressing just before serving, adding more of less of the ingredients according to personal tastes. Enjoy!!

Recipe by Carolee Stout (Scott’s Mom)