Loaded Caesar Salad

Crisp romaine is tossed with a homemade Caesar dressing, crunchy croutons, and Parmesan cheese, then made extra special with the additions of bacon, baby tomatoes, and toasted pine nuts. This loaded Caesar salad is a crowd-pleaser!

My family loves Caesar salad, so I surprised them with this tasty loaded Caesar salad recipe, and we all loved it. I was planning to use an avocado in this salad, but unfortunately, it was rotten inside, so I grabbed a handful of our freshly picked baby tomatoes from the garden instead. The lemony Caesar dressing is garlicky and full of flavor, and pairs nicely with each ingredient in this salad. We all thought this loaded Caesar salad paired nicely with some pasta al pomodoro and crusty roasted garlic bread.

Loaded Caesar Salad

Caesar Dressing:

• ½ cup good mayonnaise
• 1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 anchovy fillet
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
• ½ tsp Dijon mustard
• ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1-2 tbsp milk, to adjust consistency
• Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Salad:

• 5 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped into large bits
• 6 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
• A handful of baby cherry tomatoes   **Avocado slices would also be tasty, or use both!
• 1 tbsp toasted pine nuts
• Homemade Croutons
• Freshly grated Parmesan, for garnish
• Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
• Lemon wedges, on the side

How to Make a Loaded Caesar Salad

Make the herb croutons. Click this link for the recipe. 

Prepare the dressing by combining all the ingredients in a small food processor and blending until smooth, starting with 1 tbsp of milk. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as desired, and add more milk to the desired consistency.

Set aside for 30 minutes or more to allow flavors to mingle.

Cook the bacon for 4-5 minutes in a large skillet over medium heat. Flip over and continue cooking until golden brown and crispy. Place onto paper towels to drain. Chop into large bits.

Assemble the salad by placing the romaine lettuce in a large bowl with ½ of the dressing. Toss until well coated. Taste and add more dressing, as needed.

Transfer the dressed lettuce to a cold serving plate or bowl. Top with croutons, bacon, baby tomatoes, and toasted pine nuts.  Season the salad well with freshly cracked black pepper and finely grated Parmesan.

Serve immediately with lemon wedges and additional dressing on the side. Enjoy.

Loaded Caesar Salad

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Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Mingling Time for the dressing if possible.: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Course: Lunch, Salad

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: 3 - 4

Author: Pam - For the Love of Cooking

Equipment

• Large skillet

Ingredients

Caesar Dressing:

• ½ cup good mayonnaise
• 1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 anchovy fillet
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
• ½ tsp Dijon mustard
• ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1-2 tbsp milk, to adjust consistency
• Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Salad:

• 5 slices bacon, cooked and chopped into large bits
• 6 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
• Handful of baby cherry tomatoes **avocado slices would also be tasty or use both!
• 1 tbsp toasted pine nuts
• Homemade Croutons
• Freshly grated parmesan, for garnish
• Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
• Lemon wedges, on the side

Instructions

• Make the herb croutons. Click the link up above for the recipe.
• Prepare the dressing by combining all of the ingredients in a small food processor and blend until smooth, starting with 1 tbsp of milk. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as desired, and add more milk to the desired consistency.
• Set aside for 30 minutes or more to allow flavors to mingle.
• Cook the bacon for 4-5 minutes in a large skillet over medium heat, flip over and continue cooking until golden brown and crispy. Place onto paper towels to drain. Chop into large bits.
• Assemble the salad by placing the romaine lettuce in a large bowl with 1/2 the dressing. Toss until well coated. Taste and add more dressing, as needed.
• Transfer the dressed lettuce to a cold serving plate or bowl. Top with croutons, bacon, baby tomatoes, toasted pine nuts. Season with lots of freshly cracked black pepper and finely grated parmesan.
• Serve immediately with lemon wedges and additional dressing on the side. Enjoy.

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