SPINACH SALAD WITH CRANBERRIES, PECANS, BACON AND BLUE CHEESE

We have had a cranberry hors d'oeurve so we move on to the table and sit down for our salad course, also using cranberries. This salad is courtesy of The Neeleys on the Food Network. I have made this several times and it is a party in your mouth. There are so many flavors and textures going on in this. And of course, what doesn't go good with bacon? But, this really is a beautiful looking salad, pretty colors for the holidays and had a lot of good stuff in it! Toast your pecans, make your bacon and slice your onion and put it in a zip lok bag the day before. All you have to do the next day is toss everything in the bowl and whisk your dressing.

Spinach Salad with Cranberries, Pecans, Bacon and Blue Cheese
1/2 pound hickory smoked bacon slices, roughly chopped

1/2 cup pecans, toasted and roughly chopped

2 (6-ounce) containers baby spinach

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

1 cup dried cranberries
Dressing:
1/2 cup Danish blue cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon sugar
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Fry chopped bacon in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until brown and crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel-lined 1/4-sheet tray to drain.
Toast pecans in the oven on a 1/4-sheet tray until lightly golden and fragrant, about 6 minutes.
In a medium bowl mash the blue cheese with a fork. Mix in the buttermilk, sour cream, sugar, salt and pepper, to taste.
Combine baby spinach, red onion, pecans, dried cranberries and bacon in large bowl. Toss with the dressing immediately before serving.