Francine’s Salad

There are plenty of meals and recipes that my family has been making for decades.

I’ve got “super secret” family recipes for banana pudding, sweet potato casserole, chocolate pecan pie, and chicken fried steak.

If you ever go to a family potluck or cookout and think to yourself, “oh, I hope so-and-so is coming, because I love her potato salad” then you know exactly what I’m talking about.

Sometimes people are known for a certain dish. My aunt Jana is known for her banana pudding. My coworker Emily is known for her corn dip (I’m salivating thinking about it). My mom is known for her Francine Salad.

Wait…salad?

Yep. Francine salad. My mom used to make it for Easter, 4th of July, Memorial Day weekend…the list goes on. Any spring or summer gathering my family had when I was a kid, Francine salad would show up.

And people practically begged for it.

It’s not your ordinary salad. Heck, I’m not so sure it’s even remotely good for you. It’s mainly dressing with a few salad greens underneath.

But the point is: it’s unique. It’s substantial. And it’s something my mom is known for.

This salad uses the ultimate power of its dressing to lock the ingredients underneath inside. The creamy ranch is superb–and unlike any other I’ve tried before. If you like thin ranch dressing, you’ll be disappointed in this. If you like more dressing than greens in a salad, you’ll love this recipe.

One thing is for sure: if you start taking this to family gatherings, be prepared to get asked about it for the rest of your life.

Enjoy!

PS: I have no clue who Francine is.

Francine's Salad

Servings: 8-10
Time: 20 mins
Difficulty: Easy
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A hearty salad with a mix of greens, bacon, peas and a thick ranch dressing.

Ingredients

2 cups baby spinach
2 cups red leaf lettuce, torn
2 cups romaine, torn
3-4 green onions, diced
1.5 cups English peas, cooked and cooled
6 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
1.5 cups mayonnaise
1.5 cups sour cream
1 (1 oz) dry ranch seasoning

Directions

In a large bowl, mix together spinach, red leaf lettuce and romaine. Spread into a large baking dish (or disposable metal baking dish). Top with peas, green onions and bacon.
In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream and ranch seasoning until well blended. Using a spatula, spread dressing on top of the salad, almost like you’re frosting a cake. Make sure dressing covers entire salad. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

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