Warm Bacon and Eggs Breakfast Salad
Here's a warm, citrusy salad recipe from The Fresh Eggs Daily Cookbook that you're going to love.
Warm Bacon and Eggs Breakfast Salad
Bacon, eggs, toast, and orange juice—they’re what breakfast is made of! Transform typical breakfast ingredients into a hearty dinner salad by adding mixed greens and a citrusy dressing. If you have some slightly stale bread on hand, this is the perfect way to use it. The stove-top croutons add a satisfying crunch to this dish. You'll have extra bacon, but when has that ever been a problem?
Makes 2 servings.
Brown Sugar Maple Bacon
12 slices thick-sliced bacon
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup maple syrup
Freshly ground black pepper
Homemade Buttered Croutons
3 tablespoons butter
2 cups cubed bread
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Orange-Ginger Dressing
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
Pinch of white pepper
Salad
3 cups mixed salad greens
Butter for frying the eggs
4 eggs
Half an orange, cut into pieces
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
First, make the Brown Sugar Maple Bacon. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, then set a wire cooling rack on top. Lay the bacon strips over the rack in a single layer.
Whisk the brown sugar and maple syrup in a small bowl until smooth. The mixture should be thick but still a spreadable consistency. Generously brush the sugar mixture over the tops of the bacon strips with a pastry brush. Then grind a copious amount of pepper over the slices.
Bake about 30 minutes, until the bacon is browned and crispy, and the tops are bubbling and sticky. You’ll know it’s ready when it smells so good in your kitchen that you can’t take it anymore.
Remove the bacon from the oven and allow it to cool on the rack for a few minutes. Then peel the slices off the rack and set them on a plate to cool.
While the bacon is baking, prepare the croutons, dressing, and eggs.
For the Croutons
Melt the butter in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Add the bread cubes, stir, sprinkle with salt, and let sit for a minute or two to brown on the bottom.
Then cook for a few more minutes, stirring occasionally until the cubes are browned and crispy. Remove the croutons from the pan and drain on paper towels.
For the Dressing
Combine the orange peel, orange juice, vinegar, oil, ginger, salt, and pepper in a half-pint Mason jar.
Screw on the lid and shake until the dressing is well combined and smooth, about 20 seconds. Alternatively, whisk vigorously in a medium-sized bowl.
For the Eggs
In the skillet add more butter and fry the eggs sunny-side up.
To Assemble the Salad
Divide the greens between 2 plates, then top each salad with 2 eggs, 2 slices of bacon, orange segments, and croutons. Drizzle with dressing, season with salt and pepper, and serve warm.
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