Caesar Salad

This salad is a family favorite. We eat it all the time. My father-in-law recently stayed with us and when I asked him what some of his favorite “bites” were during his stay the first thing he said was “Caesar salad.” Wow. I was surprised…a salad? Really? Then the more I thought about it, the more his answer made sense. This salad tastes fresh. The croutons are homemade. And, the dressing is creamy and garlicky. Personally, I prefer a Caesar salad with a creamy dressing over one that is more oil based. There is a wide range of Caesar salad dressings served at restaurants, and I have been disappointed. One of my favorite restaurant Caesar salads is from Outback. This “Caesar Salad” is inspired by Outback Steakhouse and can be made gluten-free or keto friendly.

Caesar Salad
2 hearts of Romaine
Caesar dressing (see recipe below)
homemade croutons
Parmesan cheese
fresh cracked pepper
(this will make 2 large entree salads or 4 smaller side salads)

For the Croutons
1 slice of quality bread (optional)
olive oil
garlic powder
salt and pepper
alternative options: baked sweet potato home fries or baked bacon bites

For the Dressing
1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese or a combination of Parmesan and Pecorino Romano
1/4 cup of a good quality mayonnaise (I use Primal Kitchen or avocado oil based or you could make homemade)
2 tablespoons of lemon juice (usually one juice lemon will work)
1/2 teaspoon of anchovy paste
1/2 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce (I use Annie’s Naturals Organic)
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
1/8 teaspoon of dry mustard
1 or 2 cloves of garlic depending on the size of the cloves and your taste

1. Make the croutons by brushing each side of a slice of bread with olive oil. Sprinkle with a little garlic powder, salt and pepper.

2. Slice the bread into bite sized pieces.

3. Place the bread cubes onto parchment paper and place in a 350 degree oven until toasted about 5 – 7 minutes. (I use my toaster oven).

4. Set aside and let cool.

5. While the croutons are toasting wash and slice the romaine. Cut off the core end of the Romaine heart.

6. Slice the romaine length wise into quarters. I know some people hold off slicing the core end until after slicing the romaine into quarters. I’ve done it both ways.

7. Slicing in the other direction cut the romaine quarters into 1 inch pieces.

8. Place the romaine in a bowl and set aside. If necessary, gently use a paper towel to absorb some water.

9. Finely grate cheese (or cheeses) in a small bowl.

10. Add mayonnaise to the cheese. If you are feeling ambitious you could make “Homemade Mayonnaise.”

11. Add pepper and garlic.

12. Add the dry mustard and Worcestershire sauce.

13. Squeeze in the anchovy paste.

14. Pour in the lemon juice and mix thoroughly.

15. Toss your desired amount of dressing with the romaine, and place in bowls. Grate some extra cheese and fresh cracked pepper over the top of the salad. Add a few croutons on each salad and get ready to eat one of the best Caesar salads that you’ve ever tasted.