Mixed Greens Salad with Grilled Cheese Croutons

Name: Mixed Greens Salad with Grilled Cheese Croutons
Yield: 2
Ingredients: 4 ounces Little Leaf Baby Red &amp;amp; Green Leaf lettuce; ½ cup vine ripened tomatoes, quartered; 4 green onions, sliced thin on the bias; 4 slices of ½-inch thick country loaf; 4 tablespoons mayonnaise; 4 ounces Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar, grated (about 1 cup); Freshly ground black pepper, to taste; 1 small shallot, peeled and minced; 1 garlic clove, crushed and minced; 1 tablespoon grainy Dijon mustard; ½ cup extra virgin olive oil; ¼ cup balsamic vinegar; Freshly ground black pepper, to taste; Pinch of sea salt

Servings

2

Love salad and love grilled cheese? Then you’re going to love this mixed greens dish, which combines the two! Lettuce, vine ripened tomatoes, and sliced green onions are tossed with a delicious, made-from-scratch salad vinaigrette and topped with not just any croutons, but homemade grilled cheese croutons. To make the croutons, you first make the grilled cheese using Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar, and then chop it into bite-sized pieced to adorn your salad with. You’ll never go back to boring croutons again! Make these mixed greens with grilled cheese croutons and salad vinaigrette as a meal or a side salad and then share the recipe with friends and family on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter or Instagram (use our handle @cabotcheese when posting on Instagram).

For more salad recipes, try this Arugula Salad with Cheddar Frico. Cabot is a co-operative of farm families and we work hard to produce our award-winning dairy products. We’d love to hear your feedback on this mixed greens salad, so please rate and review the recipe when you have the chance.

Ingredients

For the Salad:

4 ounces Little Leaf Baby Red & Green Leaf lettuce
½ cup vine ripened tomatoes, quartered
4 green onions, sliced thin on the bias

For the Grilled Cheese Croutons:

4 slices of ½-inch thick country loaf
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
4 ounces Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar, grated (about 1 cup)
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the Vinaigrette:

1 small shallot, peeled and minced
1 garlic clove, crushed and minced
1 tablespoon grainy Dijon mustard
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Pinch of sea salt

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Directions

For the Vinaigrette:

PLACE all of the ingredients in a mason jar. Secure the lid and shake vigorously until well combined.
For the Salad and Croutons:
GATHER all of your grilled cheese ingredients on a cutting board.
LAY out the slices of bread and spread 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise on one side of each slice.
PLACE two slices, mayonnaise side down, in a cold skillet.
TOP each of the slices in the skillet with ½ cup grated cheese and a sprinkle of fresh pepper. Place remaining two slices of bread, mayonnaise side up, atop cheese.
TURN the heat on to medium and let the sandwiches cook for 5 minutes.
PRESS down gently on the top with a spatula after 5 minutes and then flip each sandwich. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook for an additional 5 minutes, until toasty and golden.
TRANSFER the cooked grilled cheeses back onto the cutting board.
COMBINE the greens, tomato, and green onions in a medium sized bowl and toss with the vinaigrette. Divide the salad into two serving bowls.
CUT each sandwich into four equal portions, and then cut those portions into thirds so you end up with 12 croutons per sandwich.
TOP the salads with the warm grilled cheese croutons and serve.