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Truly the BEST ever. With crispy spiced croutons, grilled chicken and a light dressing!
This crisp, fresh Caesar salad with homemade crusty croutons and perfectly juicy grilled chicken (hello Spring!) is getting me through these few weeks. For starters, finally starting use a grill to warm up. But if it snows in mid-April in Chicago, I’ll be throwing these chicken breasts on the grill pan.
Of course, store-bought croutons or dressing can be used here, but we all know that the store-bought version just doesn’t compare. No, nothing beats freshly baked croutons seasoned with garlic, and the homemade dressing is just right – not too rich, not too creamy. This is exactly right.
I will also note that there are no egg yolks or anchovies in this (although you can of course add them to your taste if you like). As for the chicken, if you don’t like white meat, the thighs can easily be substituted. And you can prepare everything ahead of time, making this a super quick weeknight meal on those very busy, hectic nights.
for crackers
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons chopped leaves of fresh parsley
- 1 carnation garlic, grated
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to your liking
- 4 cups cubes of ciabatta bread
for chicken
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons lemon peel
- 1 carnation garlic, grated
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to your liking
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
for refueling
- ¼ a cup mayonnaise
- ¼ a cup buttermilk
- 3 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan
- 1 carnation garlic, grated
- 1 a tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to your liking
for salad
- 2 managers Roman, coarsely chopped
- ¼ a cup freshly grated parmesan
for crackers
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
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In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, parsley, and garlic; season with salt and pepper to taste.
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Place the bread cubes in a single layer sheet metal. Stir in the olive oil mixture and gently toss to combine. Place in oven and bake until crusty and golden, about 13-15 minutes; put off
for chicken
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In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
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In a gallon Ziploc bag or large bowl, combine chicken and olive oil mixture; marinate for at least 2 hours, periodically turning the package. Drain the chicken from the marinade.
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Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
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Add the chicken to the grill and cook, turning occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 4 to 5 minutes per side. Allow to cool before slicing.
for refueling
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In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, buttermilk, Parmesan, garlic, lemon juice, Dijon and Worcestershire sauce; season with salt and pepper to taste.
