All-American Spam® Salad

Time :20

Yield :4 servings

Recipe Background

Salads really don't get much more American than this. All-American Spam® Salad is the much beloved classic Caesar salad with a few twists to ramp up its flavor (and its patriotism). These twists include quick-toasted, golden, and crunchy homemade croutons and warm, succulent, and flavorful cubes of Spam. With a homemade Caesar-inspired dressing for that creamy tanginess and a sprinkling of smoky Gruyère cheese, All-American Spam Salad really shows what American cooking can do!

Ingredients

For the dressing:

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon light Muscovado sugar
chives optional, to taste, chopped
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the salad:

3 tablespoons canola oil
1 (12-ounce) can Spam cubed
3 slices white bread crusts removed and bread cubed
1 clove garlic crushed
2 hearts romaine lettuce washed and chopped
1 1/2 ounces Gruyère cheese grated

Directions

In a jar with a lid, add the olive oil, the lemon juice, the Dijon mustard, the Worcestershire sauce, the sugar, the chives, the salt, and the black pepper, cover, and shake to mix thoroughly. Set the dressing aside.
In a skillet over medium heat, add the canola oil.
Add the Spam and the bread cubes to the hot oil and cook, while stirring and tossing, until the bread is golden and crunchy, about 3-5 minutes.
Add the crushed garlic to the Spam mixture and cook, while stirring, until golden, about 1-2 minutes.
In a bowl, add the lettuce and the dressing and toss to combine.
Add the Spam mixture to the salad and lightly toss to combine.
Sprinkle the salad with the grated Gruyère cheese.
Serve.