SWEET POTATO, BACON, SPINACH SALAD W/FRIED EGGS

Sweet Potato, Bacon, Spinach Salad W/Fried Eggs image

This is so nice for brunch, but how about dinner? I happen to love eggs for dinner. The smoky bacon, sweet potatoes, and fresh spinach and the sweet honey balsamic vinaigrette make this a wonderful egg dish. And if you don't want to make your own vinaigrette, there are several good store brands available these days. Now, I personally like to serve mine over a toasted thick slice of Italian bread, but that is optional. It is such a nice dish and not difficult to make.

Provided by SarasotaCook

Time 30m

Yield 4 Salad Servings, 4 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 18

Ingredients

4 extra large eggs
salt
pepper
butter to fry the egg
4 ounces balsamic vinegar
8 ounces olive oil
3 ounces honey
salt
pepper
4 slices maple bacon, diced (or a hickory bacon would work)
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced in 1/2-inch cubes
1 (11 ounce) bag Baby Spinach (now, your bag size may vary which is fine, you want about 1 1/2 cups per person, so 6 cups approx)
1 small onion, diced fine
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon butter
salt
pepper
4 slices Italian bread, toasted

Steps:

Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette -- In a small bowl, measuring cup or tupperware container (which I like because you can put the lid on, shake and it is done), add the vinegar, oil, honey, salt and pepper to taste. Whisk well, or shake and set off to the side. This makes a bit more than you need but it is a great simple dressing.
Bacon Potato Base -- To a medium non-stick pan, add the bacon and slowly render on medium / medium high heat. Cook until golden brown and crispy, then remove to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain. The bacon will create enough drippings so you will not need to add any additional oil. In the same pan, you want to keep about 1 - 1 1/2 tablespoons of the bacon fat to saute the sweet potatoes and onions. Keep on medium / medium high heat and add the onion, sweet potatoes and garlic and stir well to combine with the bacon drippings and saute until the everything is tender; it should take around 8-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and remove from the heat while you make the eggs.
Eggs -- Add the butter to a large frying pan (non-stick) and bring to medium heat. Add the four eggs (I prefer to use room temperature eggs vs ice cold eggs), season with salt and pepper and cook slowly, you don't want them to burn. My secret -- after you add the eggs and the whites set, I add a little water to the bottom of the pan. This ensures that they don't burns, and adds a poached like quality without actually poaching. Don't add much, just 1/4 or a bit more. That is just my trick, but how you like your eggs is up to you. I like a nice runny yolk, but the white should be firm but not crispy.
Salad -- In a large bowl add the spinach and the potato, bacon mixture and toss gently. The heat of the potatoes will slightly wilt the spinach.
Serve -- Now if you are like me, I enjoy mine over a piece of the toast on the bottom of the salad and egg, but that is completely optional. Add the spinach and potato salad to the plate and top with one of the fried eggs. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the top and ENJOY this wonderful dish!