Home ยป Pear, Apple, and Bacon Salad with Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing + Weekly Menu

Pear, Apple, and Bacon Salad with Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing + Weekly Menu

I spent the entire afternoon and most of the evening in the kitchen. The upcoming week is full of Christmas celebrations, ornament exchanges, cookie swaps, and Christmas programs. We had our list of all the places we plan to bring baked goods and so I got to work.

I made buckeyes, peanut clusters, chocolate fudge with pecans, and White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies. I didn’t double the buckeyes or the fudge. I’ve never made REAL fudge before and to break away a bit from nuts, I chose the peppermint cookies as something new to add to my Christmas cookie repertoire.

Not doubling the buckeyes was probably a mistake, but my father-in-law still has his personal tin to enjoy. Buckeyes are labor-intensive and require freezer space I simply don’t have! However, not making them is simply not an option in my family. They’re most definitely expected.

Between an intense HIIT workout yesterday and a toddler that is unhappy unless riding my hip, my back is killing me. I’m glad the baking is wrapped up and now all that we really have left to do is finish wrapping gifts and make it through this fun but hectic week. I’ll need to be sure to squeeze in workouts despite being under the weather. I definitely had my fair share of samples throughout the baking process today.

I’m probably not alone in my sampling of sweets and so like yourself, I am being sure to incorporate plenty of vegetables to keep things balanced and not all bad. This time of year is a struggle to be healthy, but keeping vegetables tasty and enticing is a helpful key to success.

We ate this salad as an entrée one night for dinner, and I doubled it to take for lunch throughout the week. It was great to assemble everything but the dressing and eat it over the course of several days. The dressing is sweet and creamy but light and the salad is packed with crispy and sweet fruit and savory bacon. The perfect combination!


5.0 from 3 reviews
Pear, Apple, and Bacon Salad with Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing
Author: 
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4 entree portions
 
Ingredients
Salad:
  • 1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
  • 8 Brussels sprouts, thinly sliced/shredded
  • 1 broccoli crown, florets only
  • ⅓ cup dried cranberries
  • ¼ cup sunflower seeds
  • 1 apple, cored and thinly sliced
  • 1 pear, cored and thinly sliced
  • 4 slices uncured bacon, cooked and chopped
Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing:
  • 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
  • 3 Tbsp white vinegar
  • ¼ cup light mayonnaise
  • 2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp poppy seeds
Instructions
  1. In a large bowl, combine the romaine, Brussles sprouts, and broccoli.
  2. In a mason jar or small bowl, combine all dressing ingredients until well-combined. Pour over the romaine mixture and toss well to coat.
  3. Top salad with cranberries, sunflower seeds, apple, pear, and bacon. Serve immediately.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Seasons & Suppers
Nutrition Information
Serving size: ¼ recipe Calories: 343 Fat: 19.3 Carbohydrates: 39.5 Sugar: 24.8 Sodium: 344 Fiber: 8.0 Protein: 8.0 Cholesterol: 13

Weekly Menu: December 17th – 21st

  • Sunday: leftovers
  • Monday: Baked sweet potatoes with BBQ chicken and avocado, broccoli
  • Tuesday: Italian Beef Sandwiches and salad before book club
  • Wednesday: Panera before the girls’ Christmas program
  • Thursday: leftovers before our church Christmas party

Busy week ahead – limited time in the kitchen!

Be well,

Share With Your Friends!

4 Comments

  1. Donna
    December 17, 2017 / 10:28 pm

    Hi, Nicole
    Thanks for such a nice recipe. Those broccoli and lettuce look so good and this vinegar, mayonnaise dressing adds so much flavor to them. I will have to try it soon!

    • Nicole Morrissey
      Author
      December 20, 2017 / 9:09 pm

      Hope you love it, Donna!

  2. Alan
    November 12, 2018 / 9:40 pm

    It’s looking soooo good, especially those broccoli and lettuce. I really like this salad. Will give a try in the upcoming vacation. Thanks for sharing.

  3. Pickiee
    February 27, 2020 / 4:19 am

    Really great recipe! Good luck

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Rate this recipe:  

Get my newest recipes
Follow Me