Somehow we're having an indian summer in the middle of October. The past couple of days we've seen temps at or above 80*!! So instead of making soups as I'd planned, I'm thinking of summer foods, like Chicken Caesar Salad.
I LOVE that I can make this delicious salad all on my own, in my own home! Makes me feel like I'm "out to lunch" when I'm actually just at HOME having lunch. Thank you OUR BEST BITES for another great recipe.
GRILLED CHICKEN CAESAR SALAD
It's not hard to throw together a Caesar salad with ready-made ingredients, but making one from scratch really brings the classic restaurant dish to your table. Fresh garlic, lemon juice, Parmesan cheese, high-quality mustard, and cracked black pepper make this at-home version so much better than anything from a bottle.
Yield: 4-6 main dish servings, or 10-12 side dish servings
Salad dressing ingredients:
1/3 cup mayo
1 1/t T. dijon mustard
3-4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
3 T fresh lemon juice
1/2 T. white wine vinegar (or just white vinegar in my case)
1/4 t. kosher salt
1/4 t. black pepper
1 c. pure or light olive oil
2-3 T milk, if needed
Salad ingredients:
8 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 2 medium) butterflied
1-2 heads romaine lettuce (12 cups torn)
1/2 c shredded fresh Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
Croutons
Lemon wedges, for garnish
DIRECTIONS
Salad dressing: Combine mayo, mustard, garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, salt and pepper in a blender (or food processor) and process until smooth. With blender running on low speed, slowly pour olive oil in a steady stream just until fully incorporated. Only if needed, add milk by the tablespoon until desired consistency is reached. Place 1/2 cup dressing in a zip-top bag with chicken breasts and marinate at least 30 minutes or as long as overnight. Place remaining dressing in refrigerator to chill.
Chicken: Preheat grill to medium heat. Remove chicken breasts from marinate and let excess drip off. Grill chicken 4-5 minutes on each side until cooked through or internal temperature reaches 165* F. Remove from grill and let rest at least 5 minutes before slicing. Let cool to room temperature and then store in refrigerator until ready to use. This step can be done ahead of time.
Salad: Wash lettuce and tear into bite-sized pieces. Place in bowl and toss with Parmesan cheese, croutons and prepared chicken. Toss with dressing, to taste. Top each serving with additional Parmesan cheese, freshly cracked black pepper and lemon wedges.
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