Autumn Chopped Salad

Photo by Katie Guymon

Who cares about the calendar? In my eyes, fall is in full swing. And that means that the crispy air that Mother Nature has so generously brought to Saint Louis has given me full permission to put out Halloween decorations (What of it? Don't judge. It's my favorite holiday.) and begin busting out my favorite fall recipes. Yes, I've got freshly made pumpkin bread on the kitchen counter and pulled pork slow cooking in my crock pot as I type, but it's really this autumn chopped salad that I'm pretty excited about.

Why? Well, it's virtually no-cook (minus fryin' up some bacon), and it combines a multitude of my favorite foods (including bacon).

I got the recipe from my not-so-new obsession, Pinterest. And, it's going on the kitchen table the coffee table tonight just in time for hours of mindless Emmy watching.

Autumn Chopped Salad [via Espresso and Cream]
-6 to 8 cups chopped romaine lettuce
-2 medium pears, chopped
-1 cup dried cranberries
-1 cup chopped pecans
-8 slices thick-cut bacon, crisp-cooked and crumbled
-4 to 6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
-Poppy seed salad dressing
-Balsamic vinaigrette

1. In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, pears, cranberries, pecans, bacon and feta cheese.

2. Drizzle generously with poppy seed dressing, followed by some of the balsamic vinaigrette. Toss well.