I like to make Caesar Salad fairly regularly, but I don’t like buying bottles of dressing that languish forever in my refrigerator door, since I’m the only one who eats it. This recipe uses ingredients I tend to keep on hand and can be made in small batches. I can make it whenever I want without worrying about the dressing going bad and the croutons getting rancid. It’s not authentic; it’s how I like it!

Ingredients

  • 4-6 romaine lettuce leaves, washed and chopped
  • 2–4 ounces cooked chicken, shredded or chopped
  • 4 grape tomatoes, diced
  • 2 tablespoons pickled red onions
  • grated Parmesan cheese, to taste

Dressing

  • 1/4 cup Japanese mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • small clove garlic, minced (or equivalent garlic paste)
  • 1 teaspoon anchovy paste
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Crouton Topping

  • 2 teaspoons butter
  • 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • pinch granulated garlic
  • pinch salt
  • 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

  1. Make the dressing: whisk together all dressing ingredients in a small bowl until smooth. Adjust seasoning to taste, and refrigerate until ready to use.
  2. Make the crouton topping: melt butter in a small pan over medium heat. Add panko and cook until golden brown, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and stir in granulated garlic, salt, and Parmesan cheese. Set aside to cool.
  3. In a large bowl, toss the romaine with enough dressing to coat the leaves. Add chicken, tomatoes, pickled onions, and crouton topping, and toss again to combine.
  4. Serve with additional Parmesan cheese and freshly ground black pepper on top, if desired. In a bowl is great, in a wrap is even better, but on a pizza crust with melted cheese and extra dressing for sauce is best of all.