For the Sweet Potato Croutons: Cut sweet potato into ¼ inch cubes. Toss in a medium bowl with olive oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Layer in one layer on a cookie sheet. (I use Parchment paper on my cookie sheet) Roast for 30 minutes or until brown and slightly crispy.
For the Bacon: In a large skillet over medium-low heat, crisp up the bacon. Drain on the paper towel and then crumble. If using pastured pork bacon, leave the fat in the pan for later use.
For the Caramelized Onions: In a medium skillet over medium-low heat, melt ghee. Add the sliced onion and caramelize until soft and golden brown, adding Herbes de Provence when they are nearly finished. Set aside and save skillet for later use.
For the Toasted Pecans: In the medium skillet that you used for the onions, add just a scant amount of ghee and toast pecans. (I like using this skillet because the sweet onion flavor transfers to the pecans).
For the Fried Sage: Heat up the skillet you used for the bacon until the bacon drippings are hot. Place a sage leaf in to test the heat of the oil. If it sizzles then add the other sage leaves. Fry front for about a minute and then flip over to the backside. Remove and drain on a paper towel. (If not using bacon drippings than you can use avocado oil. Make sure you have about ½ inch of oil in the skillet)
To Assemble the Salad: Layer the greens on the bottom, followed by the bacon, caramelized onions, blue cheese, and pecans. Save the croutons and sage leaves for after you dress the salad.
Dressing: This dressing is as simple as it gets. I call it my 3-4 drizzle. I take the bottle of white balsamic and drizzle over the entire salad to the count of 3. Then I take the Olive Oil and drizzle it over the entire salad to the count of 4. Salt and Pepper to taste and then toss. So easy!
To Eat: After being tossed with the dressing top the salad off with sweet potato croutons and fried sage leaves and serve!