Favorite Salad Recipe

If you need the perfect salad recipe then this is it.  It always brings rave reviews and is my husband and children's most asked for recipe.  The ingredients can mostly be prepped the day before so that it only takes a few minutes to put it together to serve it.

Spinach Cheese Salad

1 (10 oz.) bag baby spinach, washed and trimmed

1 small head lettuce, washed and drained

¾ pound mozzarella, Swiss or Monterrey Jack cheese, grated

1 (16 oz.) carton small curd cottage cheese

½ pound bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 recipe Poppy Seed Dressing

Put spinach in a large bowl.  Tear the lettuce into pieces and add to the spinach.  Just before serving add cheese, cottage cheese, bacon and toss with the dressing dressing.  Serves 12.

Poppy Seed Dressing

1 T. poppy seeds

¾ cup vinegar

½ cup sugar

1 ½ T. grated onion

1 ½ t. salt

¾ t. dry mustard

1 ¼ cups vegetable oil

Mix everything in the blender.  Refrigerate unused dressing for future use.  Keeps up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator.

Hint: The salad only uses half to two thirds of the dressing.  To increase servings, add more spinach and use all of the dressing.

Do ahead: Prepare spinach and lettuce.  Shred cheese.  Cook and crumble bacon.  Make dressing.