Bleu Cheese Pecan Chopped Salad (Outback Steakhouse Copycat)

Outback Steakhouse Copycat Bleu Cheese Pecan Chopped Salad made with mixed greens & cinnamon pecans tossed in a Bleu cheese vinaigrette.

A few years ago I had a bad dining and service experience at our local Outback Steakhouse and haven't been back since. That all changed this past December when my husband and I decided to stop in for lunch to use a gift card we received as a gift a few months before.

I had never eaten lunch there so even though the menu was pretty much the same, I drifted more towards the salad options, rather than getting a full meal like I normally would have.

I was happy to see that one of my favorite salads, their Bleu Cheese Pecan Chopped Salad, came in a larger portion so I ordered that and added grilled chicken to it.

It's one of my favorite salads to order (besides this one at The Cheesecake Factory) because no one else in my family likes Bleu Cheese except for me so it's not something I tend to cook with at home.

This salad is simple to make; however, there are a few steps involved before putting it all together. If your rushed for time, they can all be done separately ahead of time so that all you have to do it mix the salad together when you're ready to serve and eat.

In the Outback Steakhouse recipe they claim to have an "Aussie crunch" which can be achieved by cooking and frying bits of Angel Hair pasta; which I did, but I don't think it really made a difference to the taste so you can leave out that step if you'd like.

How do you make Bleu Cheese Pecan Chopped Salad?

There are three steps to making this salad. 

Step 1. Make the Cinnamon Pecans

Start by combining whole (or halved) pecans, ground cinnamon, melted butter and light brown sugar in a bowl. Toss to coat well; then place on a baking pan and cook in a preheated 375 degree F oven for about 3-5 minutes.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool. These can be kept in a tightly sealed container at room temperature for a few days.

Step 2. Make the Dressing

For the dressing you'll need extra virgin olive oil, white vinegar, Dijon mustard, sour cream, fresh chopped basil and crumbled Bleu cheese. Whisk all ingredients together and keep stored in the refrigerator in an air tight container for up to 1 week.

Step 3. Make the Bleu Cheese Pecan Chopped Salad

To make the salad you'll need mixed greens with red cabbage and shredded carrots. I generally don't purchase what I call "bag" lettuce; however, since I was going to be the only one eating this salad I opted for convenience and rinsed it thoroughly in my salad spinner.

Add some chopped scallions to the lettuce in a salad bowl; then add the prepared pecans and dressing. Mix well, top with more crumbled Bleu Cheese and serve immediately.

I used two bags of lettuce and this recipe is enough for 5-6 servings as a side salad; or 3-4 servings as a dinner salad. I also had some roasted chicken leftover so I added it to the top of my salad. 

I've never tried other salads at Outback, but this Bleu Cheese Pecan Chopped Salad was delicious and tasted just like the restaurant version. ~Enjoy!

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Bleu Cheese Pecan Chopped Salad (Outback Steakhouse Copycat)

Carrie's Experimental Kitchen

Make Outback Steakhouse's Bleu Cheese Pecan Chopped Salad at home with mixed greens and cinnamon pecans tossed in a Bleu cheese vinaigrette; then topped with crumbled Blue Cheese.  

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 5 mins

Total Time 25 mins

Course Salads

Cuisine American

Servings 6

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

For the Cinnamon Pecans

• ½ c. Whole or Halved Pecans
• ½ tsp. Ground Cinnamon
• 1 tbsp. Light Brown Sugar
• 1 tbsp. Butter, melted

For the Dressing

• ¼ c. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• ¼ c. White Vinegar
• 2 tsp. Dijon Mustard
• 2 tbsp. Sour Cream
• 1 tbsp. Chopped Fresh Basil
• 2 oz. Crumbled Bleu Cheese

For the Salad

• 2- 7(ounce) Bags Premixed Salad Greens (lettuce, cabbage, shredded carrots), rinsed and drained
• 2 Scallions, chopped
• 2 oz. Crumbled Bleu Cheese

Instructions

 

To Make the Cinnamon Pecans

• Combine the pecans, ground cinnamon, melted butter and light brown sugar in a bowl. Toss to coat well; then place on a baking sheet and cook in a preheated 375 degree F oven for about 3-5 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. (These can be kept in a tightly sealed container at room temperature for up to 5 days.)
  

To Make the Dressing

• Whisk all ingredients together until smooth and keep stored in the refrigerator in an air tight container for up to 1 week.
  

To Make the Bleu Cheese Pecan Chopped Salad

• Add the lettuce, cabbage, carrots and scallions to a large mixing bowl; then add the prepared pecans and dressing. Mix well, top with the crumbled Bleu Cheese and serve immediately.
  

Notes

*This recipe serves 3-4 people as a dinner salad and 5-6 people as a dinner salad

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