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Make the Dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, mayonnaise, sour cream, half of the crumbled blue cheese (about ¾ cup), garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, and chopped chives. Whisk until smooth and well combined. The remaining blue cheese will be used as a final garnish. Season the dressing with salt and pepper to your taste. For the best flavor, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
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Assemble the Salad: In a very large bowl, combine the chopped iceberg lettuce, chopped romaine, crumbled bacon, halved cherry tomatoes, and the ¼ cup of chopped chives.
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Toss and Serve: Pour the desired amount of the prepared dressing over the salad. Toss gently but thoroughly until all the ingredients are evenly coated. Reserve any extra dressing for another use.
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Garnish and Finish: Transfer the tossed salad to a serving bowl or individual plates. Sprinkle the remaining ¾ cup of crumbled blue cheese over the top. Serve immediately.
Tips for the Best Chopped Wedge Salad
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Keep it Cold: For the signature wedge salad crunch, ensure your lettuce is well-chilled before chopping and assembling.
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Cook Bacon Perfectly: For easy crumbles, bake your bacon on a parchment-lined sheet pan at 400°F (200°C) for 15-20 minutes, until crispy. Drain on paper towels, then chop or crumble.
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Make it a Meal: Add grilled chicken, shrimp, or hard-boiled eggs to turn this into a hearty main-course salad.
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Dressing Consistency: If you prefer a thinner dressing, add a splash more buttermilk until it reaches your desired consistency.
Better Dressing Distribution: Chopping and tossing allows the creamy dressing to lightly coat every piece of lettuce, not just the top.
Ingredients
For the Salad:
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1 head iceberg lettuce, cored, quartered, and chopped into bite-sized pieces
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1 romaine lettuce heart, cored and chopped into bite-sized pieces
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8 slices bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled
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2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
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¼ cup fresh chives, chopped
For the Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing:
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½ cup buttermilk
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¾ cup mayonnaise
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¾ cup sour cream
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1 ½ cups blue cheese, crumbled, divided
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½ teaspoon garlic powder
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2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
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Juice of 1 lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
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2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
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Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste