Chopped Salad

Mom/Dad, this is the salad I served with pork chops last week....Well, this is the recipe that was my starting point.  :)  I change the ingredients all the time depending on what I have in the fridge (see below) and it's always yummy:
 

Ingredients:

 

*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 oz. feta cheese, crumbled

*Poppyseed Salad Dressing (I use T. Marzetti)

*Balsamic Vinaigrette (I use Newman's Own Light Balsamic Vinaigrette)

 

Instructions:

 

Mix a cup of dressing (roughly 70% poppy seed and 30% balsamic), drizzle over salad and toss.

 

 

Variations I've tried with success:

 

*I have used all kinds of lettuce/spinach, sometimes chopped, sometimes not.

*Apples instead of pears. 

*sliced or slivered almonds instead of pecans

*shredded swiss instead of feta (I prefer feta)

 

I've never tried without cranberries...I think they kind of make the salad, so I won't mess with them.  I've also never messed with the dressing and don't plan to.