Caesar Salad with Bacon - Wedge

Make this knife and fork classic Wedge Caesar Salad with Bacon that looks super fancy but is so easy to make with just five ingredients.

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Salads, there are so many ways to serve them, but sometimes cutting up all the ingredients can be time-consuming. That is where this wedge salad comes in; it's super quick to make by just cutting a head of lettuce and frying some bacon.

WooHoo! This is my kind of salad.

Make sure to pin this recipe to your favorite salad board.

Jump to:

• What is a wedge salad?
• Why you will love this salad
• Wedge Salad Ingredients
• How to make a Wedge Salad: Step by Step
• Salad Variations
• Make ahead
• 🥗 Serving tip
• Wedge Salad FAQs
• You will love these recipes too!
• Recipe

What is a wedge salad?

This salad is about simplicity but delivers satisfying flavors and a cool crispy texture. The simplicity lies in just cutting a head of iceberg lettuce into quarters; no slicing or chopping is required. Just leave the leaves alone.

Finally, add a drizzle of dressing and a few toppings; remember to keep it simple. And those toppings, they need to be kept small, kinda like a garnish on top of the wedge.

Why you will love this salad

• This wedge salad is perfect for lunch or as a side dish.
• Want to serve a salad at a party, make these salad wedges and set them on a platter so your guests can serve themselves.
• Preparing this salad takes minutes, and the wedges can even be made ahead of time.

We like to serve this salad as a main course along with our favorite appetizers. These savory Pear Puff Pastry Pinwheels and Apricot Parmesan Pinwheels are both easy to make and taste great with this salad.

Mini Chicken Taco Bowls or this classic Skillet Hamburger, and one of these wedges make a delicious meal.

You can also serve this wedge as a side along with this BBQ Pork Steak, for a nice hearty dinner. This recipe for Baked Tomatoes with Cheese is easy to make and goes great with the wedge.

Use those fresh garden tomatoes to make this Tomato Salad that has a great pop of color and texture with avocados mixed in, or this Tomato and Onion Salad with tasty herb dressing. Or if you like pasta, try this Orzo Pesto Salad.

Wedge Salad Ingredients

A few notes on the ingredients

• Iceberg lettuce - Because heads of lettuce come in various sizes, try to find one that is medium-sized. If you have a very large head of lettuce, you can cut it into more than four wedges.
• Use your favorite Caesar salad dressing
• Bacon - regular sliced bacon works the best since it is easier to crumble.
• Parmesan cheese - you can shred your own or buy pre-shredded cheese
• Cracked pepper - this just adds that little extra kick!

How to make a Wedge Salad: Step by Step

How to fry bacon crumbles

Step 1.

• This is the best way to cook bacon on the stove to make bacon crumbles. Stack about five strips of bacon on top of each other, then slice those strips in half. Now slice the cut stips cross-wise into small dice.
• Heat a medium-sized skillet over medium heat then add the diced bacon. Let cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the bacon becomes crisp.
• When the bacon is cooked spoon the bacon from the skillet onto a paper towel-lined plate to drain and cool.
• If you have any leftover bacon crumbles add them to your eggs in the morning, or you can freeze them for later.

How to cut iceberg lettuce into wedges

Step 2

• Remove a few of the outer leaves from the lettuce. These leaves usually are very thin and can look wilted.
• Lay the head of lettuce on a large cutting board and cut it in half down through the core with a large chef's knife.
• Turn the wedges cut side down on the cutting board and then cut those pieces in half. You now have four lettuce wedges. See the FAQs on how to wash the lettuce.

Topping the salad wedges

Step 3.

• Depending on how you are serving the wedges, put a wedge on a plate, or place all the wedges on a serving platter.
• Spoon the Caesar salad dressing over each wedge so it drips down the edges just a bit. Don't drown the wedges.
• Sprinkle with the bacon crumbles, shredded parmesan cheese, and the cracked pepper.
• Serve the lettuce wedges cold.

Salad Variations

• The classic wedge salad uses bleu cheese, but feel free to use Swiss cheese, cheddar cheese, feta cheese, or a shredded pepper jack for a zesty salad. There are so many options.
• You have options for the bacon. Try using Bacon Bits if you don't want to cook bacon, and they are a great option for a vegetarian salad since they are not made with meat.
• The dressing for a wedge salad can be anything you like.
• Salad topping ideas are endless, just make sure the toppings are small. Try chopped tomatoes, shredded carrots, diced red onions, chopped olives, hard-cooked eggs, chives, diced basil, or crushed croutons.

Make ahead

Even though this wedge salad recipe is quick to make you might want to get a head start on prepping, especially if you are serving this salad for a party. The beauty of the iceberg wedges is they will stay crispy.

Cut the lettuce into wedges and cover with plastic wrap until ready to top. Then prep your toppings so they are ready to go.

Alternatively, you can completely make the salad wedges up to two hours ahead of time. Just cover it with plastic wrap and keep it in the refrigerator.

Wedge Salad FAQs

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Recipe

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About Jere'              

From learning to cook on a farm in Indiana to culinary school in California, my passion for food is never-ending.  Turning on my oven to bake something for friends and family is my happy place, and I am glad to be here at One Hot Oven sharing sweet and savory family-friendly recipes for your cooking and baking inspiration.