Simple Caesar Salad

Caesar Salads are a favorite in our house. They make a great side dish, but often we add chicken, shrimp, steak, or sometimes even salmon for a quick and easy weeknight meal.

In place of the “Classic” Caesar dressing, I have come up with a shortcut version that is just as delicious and much easier to prepare. It can be whipped up in a matter of minutes. It’s all made in one Mason jar and can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week so that it’s ready to go when you are. I have a link to the recipe below.

To turn this into a quick and easy weeknight meal, you just need to do some preparation in advance.

What is a Caesar salad?

“A salad typically consisting of romaine lettuce and croutons served with a dressing containing olive oil, lemon juice, raw egg, parmesan cheese, and seasonings.”

Let’s gather up the ingredients

• Romaine Lettuce– I like to buy Romaine Hearts, but if you buy the whole head of lettuce, just remove the outer leaves and use them on burgers or sandwiches. We want the crunchy inner leaves for this recipe.

• Fresh Parmesan Cheese– If you can, buy the whole wedge. This way you can grate what you need for the dressing and then use your vegetable peeler to make larger shavings for the top.

• Fresh Garlic– Sliced

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• Salt and freshly cracked black pepper

• French Baguette– Cut into cubes for croutons. You can use whatever kind of bread your family likes. Sourdough is a great option as well.

• Shortcut Caesar Dressing

Make the croutons

Have you ever made your own croutons? They are the best and so easy to make at home. The homemade croutons take this Simple Caesar Salad to the next level.

Cut a baguette (or your choice of bread) into 3/4 to 1-inch cubes and put them in a large mixing bowl.

Pour 1/4 cup olive oil into a small saucepan over low heat. Add your thinly sliced garlic cloves and allow them to gently sizzle in the oil, infusing it with all of that delicious garlic flavor. When the garlic just starts to turn golden, remove the slices from the oil and discard. It has done its job here. Add two tablespoons of butter to the pan and allow it to melt into the garlic oil.

Pour the mixture over the top of the bread cubes and toss to coat. Season with salt, pepper, and whatever other spices you enjoy. Some good options would be parsley, oregano, basil, or you could use a combination. Give them another toss to ensure that each cube is covered.

Spread the cubes out onto a sheet pan and put them into a 400° oven for about 10 minutes or until they are slightly golden and firm to the touch. I like mine crisp, but still slightly chewy. If you like yours crunchier, just cook them a little bit longer.

Allow them to cool and then put them in a ziplock bag until you need them. Try not to eat too many before you even make the salad.

These croutons are also SO good in my Tomato Basil Soup. You should definitely give it a try!

Cut the lettuce

Slice the ends off of the Romaine Hearts. Slice each heart in half lengthwise and then slice each half lengthwise again. Now cut into bite-sized chunks. You could always buy the pre-bagged lettuce in a pinch, but it’s so much more expensive, and this is really very simple to do.

Once I have all of the lettuce cut into pieces, I like to put mine in a large mixing bowl with a lid. I put it directly in the refrigerator so that it’s ready to toss when I need it. If your RV refrigerator is too small for that, you can easily put the lettuce in a large ziplock bag so that it takes up less space.

I know it sounds like a lot of steps, but this seriously comes together so fast. And now that you have all of the components ready, just think how quickly dinner will be on the table after a long day at work.

Time to assemble

When you are ready to eat, just pull the lettuce, dressing, and croutons out of the fridge. Add as much dressing as your family likes directly to the bowl. Put the lid back on and give it a shake. Now throw on your croutons and shave some fresh parmesan over the top.

Tips for success: Use your vegetable peeler to peel shavings directly from the wedge of cheese.

You can serve this salad as a side dish next to something hearty like this Slow Cooker Round Steak and Gravy a Homemade Mushroom Pizza, or just make it a meal all in itself.

Top it with any protein that you have prepared in advance. Leftover grilled chicken or steak works great here, but I also love to make this salad with salmon or shrimp.

You have just created a full meal in one dish and it took less than 10 minutes to do it. I know it took some prep work in advance, but it sure makes dinner during the week a breeze. Taking advantage of the extra time you have to spend in the kitchen on the weekends can save you a lot of stress on nights when you don’t have as much time during the week.

More Recipes To Try

Caesar Chicken Wraps

Classic Meatloaf

If you decide to make this simple Caesar salad, please be sure to give it a rating and let me know how yours turned out. I love hearing your feedback and I will do my best to answer any questions you have as quickly as I can. 

As always, I will be back next week with more delicious recipes from my RV kitchen to yours!