Wilted Lettuce with Hot Bacon Dressing is one of those things that I've seen at our family's dinner table my entire life. All of the adults would drool over it and rave about how heavenly it was. I hated it (though I had never tried it). Bacon fat? On a salad? Sick.
Ingredients
1 head of leaf lettuce
1/4 cup of green onions, sliced
1/4 cup of red onion, sliced thinly (optional)
5 slices of bacon, chopped into 1/2" pieces
1/4 cup of sugar
1/4 cup of white vinegar
Preparation
Chop the bacon into small pieces (about 1/2 inch). Fry on a lot heat, rendering the fat and crisping up the bacon. After about 4-5 minutes, turn off the heat.
Add the sugar to the bacon fat and pour into a glass bowl or pourable measuring cup. Wash lettuce and chop green onions, put in a bowl. Add vinegar to dressing, making sure it isn't too hot, or it will splatter. The salad is ready to go - just toss with the dressing right before taking to the table.
If you are making it ahead of time, keep the dressing separate. Microwave the dressing for 20-30 seconds, stir, then pour it over the lettuce, bacon and onions just before serving.