sous chef salad

Ingredients

For the salad:
12 ounces Smithfield Hometown Original Bacon
4 eggs
3 slices sourdough bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 tablespoon olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 romaine lettuce, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 English cucumber, diced
6 ounces pepperoncini, drained and chopped
2 small avocados, diced
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
3 ounces Smithfield Prime Fresh Smoked Ham, sliced into ½ inch-wide strips
3 ounces Smithfield Prime Fresh Oven Roasted Turkey, sliced into ½ inch-wide strips
3 ounces Smithfield Prime Fresh Hard Salami, sliced into ½ inch-wide strips
For the dressing:
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1 garlic clove, minced or grated
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons whole milk

Make the bacon: Heat the oven to 400°F. Place bacon on a parchment-covered sheet pan and cook for 15-20 minutes until it’s crispy, but not burnt. Remove the bacon from the pan and let it rest on a paper towel-covered plate for 10 minutes. When cool enough to handle, crumble into a small bowl. Turn the oven to 375°F.
Make the eggs: Heat a medium saucepan of water to boiling and add the eggs. Boil for 15 minutes. Using a spider, spoon the eggs from the pan into a bowl of ice water and let them cool for 10 minutes. Peel the eggs under gently running cool water. Roughly chop and set aside.
Make the croutons: In a medium bowl, toss the bread cubes with the oil and ½ teaspoon of salt. Place them on a sheet pan and bake at 375°F for 5-10 minutes until crispy.
Make the dressing: In the same bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients until smooth.
Make the salad: In a large wide-rimmed salad bowl, combine the lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and pepperoncini (if using). Season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper and toss with ½ of the dressing. Add the egg, avocado, feta and crumbled bacon. Toss briefly. Add the deli meat strips and croutons on top. Serve with a small bowl of the remaining dressing on the side.