Here's a T&T recipe for potato salad with hot bacon dressing. I imagine the dressing should work for spinach salad.

GERMAN POTATO SALAD

8 large potatoes
2 stalks celery
3 or more hard-boiled eggs
1 medium onion, finely minced
1 or 2 Tbs. fresh chopped parsley

Dressing:
6 slices bacon
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup water
1 heaping tsp. cornstarch

Cook, drain, and cube potatoes. Add diced celery, hard-boiled eggs, onion, and parsley.

To make dressing: Saute and drain bacon. Thoroughly mix all other ingredients and add to bacon grease; cook until thick. Sprinkle crumbled bacon on potato mixture; add hot dressing and combine. Serve hot or chilled.

Note: This recipe is from one of my PA Dutch friends and they like very sweet dressings on salads. I only use 1/2 cup of sugar.

This is my husband's favorite salad.
Fry 4 strips of bacon and reserve drippings in pan.
Combine torn spinach (or leaf lettuce works fine too), green onions,sliced thinly, and bacon.
In skillet add to COOLED bacon drippings, 2T sugar,3T red wine vinegar, and an egg. Heat together until dressing is thick and pour over spinach. Toss well and serve right away.
RL`

Thank you, ruthanna and roselin. Those sound like just what I was looking for. I just noticed there is a spinach thread in the Cooking Forum that has some tasty sounding dressings, too. :-)

~HiDesert

Sharon/Fl. posted this here, gosh, 8 years ago. I've been using her recipe every since!

Sharon's Homemade Sweet & Sour Bacon Dressing
**********************************
Fry 1lb. bacon in heavy pot till crisp. Drain & break into tiny pieces-not crumbled! Pour out half the grease-leave rest in pot.
ADD:
****
5 eggs (beaten with a spoon)
5 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/4 tsp. salt
MIX WELL.
ADD:
***
1 cup flour
5 tsps dry mustard
MIX WELL-use slotted spoon or whisk
ADD:
****
2 1/2 cups CIDER vinegar
5 cups water-Mix till well blended.

* Heat on medium-stirring often, but not constantly, as this lowers the cooking temperature.
In about 15-20 minutes, mixture will begin to thicken. Make sure you scrape sides of pot & the bottom-often-don't let burn!
* Once it is as thick as a medium gravy-remove from heat, and add bacon and 2 TBS margarine or butter.
DRESSING WILL THICKEN AS IT COOLS.
Sharon says: You may think this makes an awful lot-but it keeps in the fridge for 4 weeks--share with a neighbor!
Excellent on Spinach Salads, Baked Potatoes, or just lettuce. Really good if you microwave a serving for 30 seconds or till just warm.
ENJOY, ENJOY, ENJOY.
Makes great Xmas gifts- just buy jelly jars, and add a bow around the neck of the jar. When my mom had her brain surgery-I took jars to the ICU for the Drs & nurses. At noon-I'd go to the cafeteria to eat & here I'd see all of them walking in with their 'dressing jars" LOL!

Note from Ang: I use it as a dip for egg rolls and fried won tons too.

This is the one I use:

{{!gwi}}

1 egg, well beaten
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 strips bacon, cut into small pieces
2 teaspoons flour

Beat sugar into egg. Add vinegar, water and salt; beat well. Meanwhile, brown bacon in small saucepan; stir in flour until smooth, add liquid and cook over medium heat until thickened, stirring constantly. Cool slightly.

Serve on fresh lettuce or baby spinach along with sliced red onion, fresh orange slices, chopped tomatoes, sliced sweet bell pepper and chopped hard boiled egg.

Marilyn

OMG! Hey angelaid! I can't believe you are still making my dressing..good for you. I made 4 gallons of it for Xmas gifts this year.
This recipe was from a family friend in PA Dutch area of PA-my mom was known for it in her 2 restaurants, then the same for me-in my nightclub & my restaurant. It's still being made in the area eateries we both worked in, since 1960!!

4 gallons?? Holy Cow!

I can't believe we've been hanging around this joint for over 8 years! LOL

Amazing how time flies when having fun, huh? 8 years & still posting here!
Yep-every year I do up 24-28 cookie & dressing trays for neighborhood friends & waitstaff at a couple of beach clubs here, that I fraternize..-9 out of 10 want the bacon dressing instead of my favorite that I make...zesty French.

I have made a couple of these and they are delicious! Thank you again to all who posted their favorites. This is my new favorite salad! I love how the dressing packs a punch - you don't need to use much. :-)

sharon_fl, I am going to have to try yours next. Probably not 4 gallons, though, lol! I think the added mustard would give it a nice little kick.

Here is a Warm Spinach Salad that is entirely different from what you're looking for, but very delicious and easier. It takes about five minutes in the pan, and kids love it. Sorry I can't be specific about ingredient amounts.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar (My favorite, but red wine vinegar works)
Spinach
Goat Cheese, plain unflavored (Like Chevré), 1/2 package or less
Bacon
Tomato
Red Onion
Calamata Olives(or any kind you prefer)
Pine nuts

Swirl extra virgin olive oil in a big skillet. Heap as much spinach as will fit, turn it to distribute the oil. When spinach is wilting toss in small chunks of Goat cheese, turn all in the pan with tongs. Some of the cheese will melt into a creamy white sauce while some remains in small, soft chunks. When spinach is wilted sufficiently and some of the cheese is melted, remove all to a large serving bowl. Sprinkle a splash of balsamic vinegar, add red onion rings, calamata olives, tomato chunks, toasted pine nuts and crispy bacon. Some of us like a light sprinkle of garlic salt over all, but I don't.

As for the 'spinach' part of this salad..I always wash my leaves, drain well-even tap paper toweling on them so as to mop up any moisture. I place in a zip lock bag and before closing-I wet 2-3 paper towels, wring them out & lay over the spinach leaves. Chill for a couple hours & you'll have nice crispy leaves!
I place the following on my salad:
thinly sliced purple onion rings, hard boiled egg wedges, cherry tomato halves, sliced button mushrooms and I toast sourdough bread chunks dusted w/parmesan, to use as my croutons..then add the warm bacon dressing on the side in a soup cuo.

OOPS! missed a "typo"..soup CUP! LOL