Wilted Spinach Salad w/ Candied Pepper Bacon

Also known as the most AMAZING salad I have ever had the pleasure of consuming.

I'm not kidding. It was outstanding. Exceptional. Unreal.

Here's how you make it.

Ingredients:

10 oz spinach, 1/2 red onion, 1 granny smith apple, 4 hard boiled eggs, 10 (or so) slices of bacon, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar, 3 Tbsp Dijon mustard, fresh ground pepper

First thing you want to do is preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Remember this lovely stone? If you've got one, grab it.  If you don't, buy it. :)

OK, line it with a sheet of parchment paper and lay the bacon out on it.

Sprinkle about 1/4 cup of brown sugar over the bacon.

Grind fresh pepper over it (as much or as little as you want)

Pop it in the oven for about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, slice up the hard boiled eggs. I have an egg slicer which makes it a cinch.

What you're left with is perfectly sliced eggs.

Now, I am not a fan of the yolks. Unless it's mixed up in an egg salad or for deviled eggs. Just plain...not a fan. So, I tossed the yolks.

Now you peel and slice the apple. Then cut it into little chunks.

Slice the onion very thinly. I only ended up using about 1/4 of the onion.

The BACON is ready!

See all that gooey sticky goodness? It's the brown sugar and it is perfection on this bacon.

Put the bacon on a plate w/ paper towels and let cool. Cut into little pieces.

Reserve about 2 Tbsp of the bacon drippings.

Mix the drippings in a microwave safe bowl with the rest of the brown sugar, the cider vinegar & Dijon mustard.

Mix it up and microwave for 2 minutes or until bubbly.

 Put the spinach, apples and onions in a large salad bowl.

Pour the sauce over it and toss.

Top with the eggs & bacon.

OK, I'm not kidding...MAKE this salad.

I can't even think of a way to describe how delicious it was. You just need to try it for yourself.

Do it.

:)