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Grandma's Wilted Lettuce Recipe is the perfect summer side dish to take you back to your childhood. Old Fashioned Wilted Lettuce has a hot bacon dressing made with bacon grease, vinegar and sugar. 
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5 from 5 votes

Grandma's Wilted Lettuce Recipe - Old Fashioned Wilted Lettuce

Grandma's Wilted Lettuce Recipe is the perfect summer side dish to take you back to your childhood. Old Fashioned Wilted Lettuce has a hot bacon dressing made with bacon grease, vinegar and sugar. 
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Total Time10 minutes
Course: Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: german wilted lettuce, grandma's wilted lettuce, old fashioned wilted lettuce, wilted lettuce with bacon, wilted lettuce with bacon grease
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 67kcal
Author: Barbara

Ingredients

  • 4 - 6 slices bacon (see instructions or notes)
  • 2 Tablespoons white sugar
  • 1/4 cup white vinegar
  • 4 - 6 cups leaf lettuce

Instructions

  • Chop bacon in small pieces, crisp up in a skillet. Remove bacon onto paper towel-lined plate, leaving bacon grease in pan. (If you want to start with reserved bacon grease, add 4 tablespoons bacon grease to a skillet, and heat).
    Grandma's Wilted Lettuce Recipe is the perfect summer side dish to take you back to your childhood. Old Fashioned Wilted Lettuce has a hot bacon dressing made with bacon grease, vinegar and sugar. 
  • Add sugar to the hot bacon grease, whisking until dissolved.
    Grandma's Wilted Lettuce Recipe is the perfect summer side dish to take you back to your childhood. Old Fashioned Wilted Lettuce has a hot bacon dressing made with bacon grease, vinegar and sugar. 
  • Turn off heat; add vinegar and whisk immediately. Be careful of the flume of vinegar steam that arises from the pan.
    Grandma's Wilted Lettuce Recipe is the perfect summer side dish to take you back to your childhood. Old Fashioned Wilted Lettuce has a hot bacon dressing made with bacon grease, vinegar and sugar. 
  • Pour over leaf lettuce in a bowl, tossing until coated and lightly wilted.
    Grandma's Wilted Lettuce Recipe is the perfect summer side dish to take you back to your childhood. Old Fashioned Wilted Lettuce has a hot bacon dressing made with bacon grease, vinegar and sugar. 
  • If desired, stir in fried bacon pieces. Season with salt and pepper.
    Grandma's Wilted Lettuce Recipe is the perfect summer side dish to take you back to your childhood. Old Fashioned Wilted Lettuce has a hot bacon dressing made with bacon grease, vinegar and sugar. 

Notes

  • Fried bacon pieces are optional if you'd rather use reserved bacon grease from breakfast. This is what my Grandma did. 
  • Start with approximately 4 tablespoons bacon grease.
  • Only use as much lettuce as you'll eat in one meal; wilted lettuce does not save.  The lettuce gets too wilted and becomes inedible. 
  • Hard boiled eggs are a great addition to old fashioned wilted lettuce salad.  Or, sauté onions in the bacon grease for added flavor. 
  • Try using leaf lettuce from the farmers' market in the summer. It works perfectly for Grandma's Wilted Lettuce with bacon. 
  • This recipe is super fast to make. Make it after all your other food is done cooking to ensure it is perfectly wilted, not soggy!
  • Love easy side dishes? Try Soy Cucumber Salad.
  • The carb counts, calorie counts and nutritional information below is auto-calculated and can vary depending on the products used. These should not be used for specific dietary needs.

Nutrition

Calories: 67kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 142mg | Potassium: 93mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 2101IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 0.4mg