Sides & Salads

Wilted Lettuce

From the kitchen of Mom (Mary April)

Wilted lettuce with hot bacon dressing is one of the oldest dishes in the American culinary tradition — German in origin, brought to the Midwest and Appalachian Ohio by settlers who knew how to make fresh garden greens into something more substantial. In NE Ohio, where kitchen gardens were a point of family pride, the first tender leaves of spring lettuce were often finished exactly this way. Mary April's version is simplicity itself.

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Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Cut bacon into approximately ¼" pieces and fry in skillet until crispy.
  2. Add vinegar, water, and sugar. Bring to a boil.
  3. Wash and dry leaf lettuce and put into a heatproof bowl.
  4. Pour bacon mixture over lettuce and cover for a few minutes.
  5. Toss and eat.
💡 Tip: A classic old-fashioned salad — the warm dressing is the whole point.