So… I do this thing. I do this thing where I take good enough, regular, perfectly-fine-as-they-are dinner foods and I turn them into breakfast fare. I do this quite simply. I do this by adding a sunny side egg on top. I do this by tossing in crispy bacon. I do this changing the title to include the word ‘breakfast’. I do this because the people love breakfast! I do this because, oh, OK… I love breakfast. And I hope you do too!

So yeah, salad for breakfast! It’s totally a thing.

A thing you should embrace, my friends! A) Because it’s awesome! annnnnnnnnd B) Because we’re having epic sandwiches and ice cream for dinner later this week! Trust me – you’re going to want your greens before all that madness happens!

Buuuuut, while we’re on the topic of salads (oh how quickly my mind wonders to ice cream!), let’s talk about this one! It’s a funky, fun, breakfast spin on the wedge. I love the wedge salad because it’s hearty and includes bacon. I also love it because it’s a classic. And while I don’t think classics ever need change, sometimes it’s fun to give them a little shake.

I tried my best to keep the core of this salad true to its roots:

Wedge of iceberg? Check! Chopped tomatoes? Jersey fresh and all here! Green onions? You bet! Bacon? Oh yes, just better because it’s DUCK bacon. If you’ve never had duck bacon (and you eat bacon), I can’t even begin to tell you how badly you need this in your life. It’s as close to heaven as fried meat can be.

Now that we’ve nailed down the bases of this salad, let’s get to the fun part!

Sliced Avocado on top is a dreamy addition, and a salad must for me these days. Then there’s the fried eggs (poached would work, too), that just really bring on the breakfast theme in full force. And finally, the maple – chipotle blue cheese dressing! Oh, this dressing! It might have been the best part of this salad (but then I think about the duck bacon and curse myself for even typing such words). Sweet, spicy, and smokey all add wonderful layers to the pungent blue cheese crumbles that boldly announce their presence in this complex dressing. And while a little dollop of dressing goes a long way, don’t say I didn’t warn you if you just so happen to find yourself eating spoonfuls of it on its own. You’ve been warned 😉

California Breakfast Wedge with Duck Bacon & Maple – Chipotle Blue Cheese Dressing – Baker by Nature

*Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 large head of iceberg, cut into 4 wedges

8 ounces duck bacon, fried and crumbled

1/4 cup scallions, cut into small pieces

1 large tomato, diced

4 large eggs, fried

1 ripe avocado, pitted and thinly sliced

Instructions:

Cut the iceberg lettuce into 4 wedges. Place each wedge on a plate, then spread about 2 tablespoons of the maple – chipotle dressing on each before topping with bacon, tomato, egg, scallions, and avocado. Add more dressing if desired, and serve!

For the Maple – Chipotle Blue Cheese Dressing

*Makes about 1 cup of dressing

Ingredients:

4 ounces crumbled blue cheese

3/4 cup sour cream

3 tablespoons whole milk

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 – 2 adobe marinated chipotle peppers, from a can

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions:

Place half the blue cheese crumbles in a blender along with all of the other ingredients and pulse until smooth. Stir in remaining blue cheese crumbles, and pour over salad.