I have to admit that salad is not usually the first thing I think about when I am hungry. Give me bacon, cheese and something hot from the oven, and I am immediately interested. Give me a bowl of rocket leaves and I might need a little more encouragement. Thankfully, this Bacon Salad gives me the best of both worlds. It has plenty of fresh salad, but it also has delicious pieces of cheese wrapped in bacon and cooked until wonderfully golden.
There is something almost magical about cooking bacon around cheese. As the bacon heats, it becomes crisp around the edges while the cheese inside turns beautifully soft and gooey. Every bite brings together salty bacon, rich melted cheese and the fresh peppery taste of rocket. It is a simple combination, but it works incredibly well.
For a bacon lover like me, this is the sort of salad that makes eating greens feel much less like a chore. The rocket provides a fresh contrast to the richness of the bacon and cheese. It also has enough flavour of its own to stop the dish becoming heavy. I suppose that makes this recipe a rather clever way of pretending I am being healthy!
The cheese is an important part of the dish because it needs to stand up to the heat. A firm cheese works particularly well because it softens without disappearing completely. Cutting the cheese into manageable pieces also makes wrapping it in bacon much easier. The bacon should cover the cheese well, with the joins tucked underneath where possible. This helps keep everything together during cooking.
I like to cook the bacon-wrapped cheese until the bacon has developed plenty of colour. You want those tempting golden and slightly crisp edges while the cheese inside becomes warm and soft. Keep an eye on it towards the end, though, because bacon can go from beautifully browned to overly crisp surprisingly quickly.
While the bacon and cheese are cooking, the salad takes only a few minutes to prepare. Rocket leaves need very little attention, which suits this recipe perfectly. A simple dressing is all that is needed because the bacon and cheese already provide plenty of flavour. A little acidity in the dressing is particularly useful because it cuts through the richness and keeps each mouthful tasting fresh.
The beauty of Bacon Salad is that it does not need a long list of ingredients or complicated preparation. It is exactly the sort of meal I like making at home when I want something tasty without spending ages in the kitchen. The hot bacon-wrapped cheese also makes the salad feel much more substantial than a bowl of cold leaves.
It works brilliantly as a light lunch, especially when served with some crusty bread on the side. Alternatively, make smaller pieces and serve the salad as a starter. I could also imagine serving it as part of a relaxed weekend meal, where everyone can grab a few pieces of the warm bacon and cheese from the salad.
There is also plenty of room to make this recipe your own. Try different cheeses to change the flavour, or add a few extra salad ingredients for more colour and texture. Cherry tomatoes, cucumber or thinly sliced red onion would all work nicely. However, I would resist adding too much. The whole appeal of this dish is the contrast between the simple rocket salad and those irresistible little parcels of bacon-wrapped cheese.
And yes, I know what you are thinking. Calling this Bacon Salad might be stretching the definition of salad slightly. However, there is rocket involved, so I am counting it! More importantly, it is genuinely delicious. The peppery leaves balance the salty bacon, while the warm melted cheese adds a wonderful richness.
So, if you are someone who should probably eat more salad but would rather be eating bacon, this could be the recipe for you. It delivers the fresh crunch of rocket while giving you plenty of the smoky, savoury goodness that makes bacon so difficult to resist. It may not turn me into a devoted salad eater overnight, but it certainly makes me much happier about putting a bowl of greens on the table.
Bacon Salad
Ingredients
- 8 rashers streaky bacon
- 200 g cheddar cheese firm cut into 8 chunky pieces
- 100 g rocket leaves fresh
- 8 large cherry tomatoes halved
- ½ small red onion thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- ½ tsp honey
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C or 180°C fan.
- Cut the cheese into 8 similar-sized pieces. Keep the pieces fairly chunky so they retain their shape while cooking.200 g cheddar cheese
- Lay the bacon slices on a chopping board. Place one piece of cheese towards the end of each bacon slice.8 rashers streaky bacon
- Wrap the bacon firmly around the cheese. Try to cover as much of the cheese as possible. Place each parcel seam-side down on a lined baking tray.
- Put the tray into the hot oven. Cook for 12–15 minutes until the bacon is golden and cooked through.
- Meanwhile, place the rocket leaves, halved cherry tomatoes and sliced red onion into a large bowl.
- Add the olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard and honey to a small bowl. Season with a little salt and black pepper.1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, ½ tsp honey, salt, black pepper
- Whisk the dressing until it becomes smooth and well combined.
- Toss the rocket salad gently with the dressing. Avoid adding too much dressing, as the bacon and cheese already provide plenty of richness.100 g rocket leaves, 8 large cherry tomatoes, ½ small red onion
- Remove the bacon-wrapped cheese from the oven once the bacon is crisp and golden. Leave the parcels for a minute or two before serving.
- Divide the dressed rocket salad between two plates. Arrange four warm bacon-wrapped cheese pieces on each plate.
- Serve immediately while the bacon remains crisp and the cheese inside is warm and soft.
Notes
If the bacon does not stay wrapped, secure each parcel with a cocktail stick before cooking. Remember to remove the sticks before serving.
Keep the salad lightly dressed so the rocket stays fresh and crisp.
For extra flavour, add a few toasted nuts or seeds to the salad.
A little extra lemon juice in the dressing works particularly well against the richness of the bacon and cheese. Serving Suggestion: Serve Bacon Salad with warm crusty bread to soak up the delicious juices and dressing. For a more substantial meal, add a bowl of homemade potato wedges or some roasted vegetables on the side.