I really love this smoked cheddar and apple spinach salad with warm, crisp bacon and a sweet and tangy maple dijon vinaigrette. When I think of comfort food, bacon and cheese are definitely something that comes to mind. This salad is great for any time of the year, but I especially crave this when the weather still has a little chill in the air. Maybe that’s what makes it so comforting. What’s best about this salad is that it’s not too time-consuming. This is a great appetizer and accompanies any main dish.

It can be extremely overwhelming going to the cheese aisle in the grocery store and seeing a wall of cheese. I am a big cheese lover and I always end up bringing home a new cheese to try. Smoked cheddar is one of my favorites. It pairs perfectly with the sweetness and the crisp of the apple. When choosing apples for this salad, my top three are the honey crisp, pink lady, and the fuji apple. All three apples are super sweet, super crunchy and make this the perfect addition to this comforting salad.

My cast iron skillet is hands down one of the most used staples in my kitchen. I use it to cook just about everything. It’s perfect for crisping up the bacon and caramelizing the shallots. These both give this smoked cheddar and apple spinach salad its comforting flavor. I have a cast-iron skillet that’s 12 inches, which is the perfect size for just about any meal. They’re easy to clean and the more you cook with them, the more seasoned they become.

I have a variety of mixing bowls in all different sizes. They really come in handy more often than not. In my kitchen I have a 10 piece clear glass mixing bowl set from Anchor, and they are my favorite. I love that they come in all different sizes and are so useful to have around. I try not to make a lot of dishes for myself, but sometimes it just makes the prepping process a lot easier.

What You Will Need:

Baby spinach

Hickory smoked thick cut bacon

Shallot

Apple

Smoked cheddar cheese

Fresh rosemary

Extra virgin olive oil

Apple cider vinegar

Maple syrup

Dijon mustard

Salt

Pepper

**Optional handful of chopped walnuts

How to make

This smoked cheddar and apple spinach salad is pretty simple to make. First, start by cutting the bacon into small pieces with kitchen shears and add the bacon to a heated cast-iron skillet. Heat the skillet to medium to medium-low heat. (I have a gas stove so the heat tends to get a little hotter.) Next, I sprinkle some fresh ground pepper over the bacon while it cooks. After about 6 minutes of cooking, add the fresh rosemary to the skillet and the sliced shallots and saute for about 3-5 min until the bacon is crisp and the shallots are caramelized. Once the bacon and shallots are fully cooked I take them out of the skillet and place them on a paper towel-lined plate to cool.

Now, while the bacon is cooling, wash and pat dry the spinach and place in a large mixing bowl. Next, in a separate smaller mixing bowl add the ingredients for the vinaigrette and whisk until smooth. Then, slice the apple and cut the cheddar into small cubes, and set aside.

Now it’s time to start building the salad. Start by adding my dressing, or one of these vinaigrettes to the spinach and toss till evenly coated. Add about half of the bacon shallot mixture and give a few tosses. Finally, place the salad mixture on your favorite appetizer dish and add the rest of the bacon, apple slices, and the cubed smoked cheddar and serve. Walnuts are also a nice addition and are optional for this salad.

If you love this salad, try our Simple & Fresh Citrus Salad. Don’t forget to support independent winemakers and save money by joining Nakedwines.com and get it shipped to your front door!