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Chopped Salad with Barbecue Ranch Dressing

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Oh my gosh! I could eat this salad every day! The combination of the fresh, crunchy lettuce, the salty bacon pieces and the slightly sweet BBQ Ranch Dressing is something that words just cannot accurately describe!! I am forever indebted to Ree Drummond (aka: "The Pioneer Woman") for sharing the original recipe of this awesome salad ("Cowboy Chopped Salad"), which I have made a few minor adjustments to to make it allergy-friendly and GF for my family :) Enjoy!!!
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Dish, Salads, Side Dish, Snacks
Servings 4 Servings

Ingredients
  

The Bacon:

  • 12-15 Slices Thick or Regular Bacon Cooked and chopped into bite-size pieces

The Barbecue Ranch Dressing:

  • 1 Cup Mayonnaise I use Hellmann's
  • ½ Cup Lite or Regular Sour Cream I use Daisy Lite Sour Cream
  • ¼ Cup Barbecue Sauce I use Sweet Baby Ray's
  • 3 Tbsp Dried Parsley
  • ½ tsp Garlic, chopped
  • 1 pinch Kosher Salt to taste
  • 1 pinch Ground Black Pepper to taste
  • ½ - ¾ Cup Buttermilk I make my own by pouring 1 Tbsp White Vinegar into a 1 Cup measuring cup and adding enough Whole Milk to fill the rest; gently stir and let rest for 5 minutes.

The Salad:

  • 1 Large Head of Lettuce I use Romaine Lettuce, but Iceburg, Green or Red Leaf Lettuce, etc. is great, too
  • 1 Cup Grape Tomatoes halved
  • 1-2 Chopped Green Onions/Scallions I use both the green and white parts
  • 3 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
  • Pico de Gallo Topping; I use store-bought once my garden has gone dormant

Instructions
 

  • While the bacon is cooking, begin making the BBQ Ranch Dressing.

The BBQ Ranch Dressing:

  • In a medium-size bowl, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients, except for the Buttermilk.
  • Once all of the ingredients are thoroughly combined, add the Buttermilk 1/4 cup at a time until desired consistency is reached. Reserve any leftover Buttermilk in the refrigerator to add to the dressing later, as it will thicken over time.
  • Cover and refrigerate the dressing until ready to use.

The Salad:

  • In a very large bowl, place all of the salad ingredients, except for the Pico de Gallo, and gently toss to mix (reserve some of the Cheese and Onions for toppings).

Putting it All Together:

  • To serve the salad, you can set up a station with the large salad bowl as center stage with the Bacon served in a side bowl (for non-bacon-eaters), as well as the Pico de Gallo and any other toppings that you want to serve separately. You can also serve the BBQ Ranch Dressing separately or sparingly toss on the salad, so individuals can add more if desired ;)