What Makes the Perfect Caesar Salad + Other Sunday Favorites
Recently, when I was at my sister’s house in Arizona, she served the most delicious Caesar salad with panko bread crumbs. After looking into this a bit, I realized maybe I’m the only one not upgrading my Caesar salad with toasted panko bread crumbs.
A perfect Caesar, sounds pretty simple, right? But really, there’s a little more to it to achieve the perfect Caesar salad status. The romaine must be crisp, and the dressing has to be velvety smooth and properly emulsified, and of course, the best Parmesan cheese you can find. And then, there’s the croutons. Ina Garten makes Parmesan toasts as croutons. But if you want a little crunch in every bite, buttery toasted panko is the way to go!
The best part is that toasted bread crumbs can be made in about two minutes on the stovetop. Which means, there’s almost no chance of walking away and forgetting the croutons in the oven–like I almost always do!
Your shopping list
For the Caesar dressing:
- Anchovy filets
- Egg
- Dijon mustard
- Lemon
- Worcestershire sauce
- Garlic
- Parmesan cheese
- Olive oil
For the panko breadcrumbs
- Plain panko
- Olive oil or butter
I use my Caraway non-stick frying pan to make panko breadcrumbs, and it always reminds me how much I love these pans! This is why: NON-TOXIC COATING: Made without PTFE, PFOA, PFAS, lead, and cadmium.
For the salad
- Romaine lettuce or baby gem lettuce
- Parmesan cheese from Italy
- Grilled chicken, steak, or shrimp (optional)
- Avocado (optional)
Make the salad on a platter and serve on cold plates
I used to make salad in a wood salad bowl and serve family stye, but lately I’ve been serving my salads on a platter. There’s something nice about seeing the whole salad, especially if there’s lots of ingredients. For the caesar, I wanted to be sure the Parmesan cheese and toasted panko bread crumbs were covering the entire salad! In the summer, I always put my plates in the freezer before serving. Recipe at the bottom.
More Sunday favorites
ZIIP Beauty
ZIIP Halo is an at-home facial toning device using the same electrical microcurrent tech once reserved for professional facialists. It syncs with an app that lets you customize waveforms for specific skin concerns — like a targeted “facial workout” for lifted, sculpted-looking skin. Cheryl of @_ifitstuesday_ on Instagram has been using and loving hers for over a year now, which is what put it on my radar!
In the box, you also get a ZIIP Electric Complex Conductive Gel that needs to be used with your device. Is this someting you would try? I will keep you posted on my results!
DWR Sale + Serena & Lily Sale
My favorite dining chairs are on sale at DWR. Also shown, Louis Ghost Chair and the Hay Rice Paper Pendant. The chairs are similar to these at Serena & Lily. The Small Cayman Vase is on sale for $38 and is perfect for a bunch of garden hydrangeas, shown on the South Seas Side Cart.
You can see more of our dining room in this post: How to Set a Table Like the French for a Dinner Party.
An A-to-Z Guide to Storing Condiments
Do you ever wonder which condiments need to be stored in the refrigerator, and which ones you can leave out or store in the pantry? My friend gave me a fancy bottle of soy sauce one year at Christmas, and I noticed she kept hers on her counter like she did her olive oil, so I did too. But everytime I used it, I thought––is this safe? Turns out yes. This article breaks it all down, so we don’t have to keep wondering.
Let’s see what Cindy & Mary Ann found this week:
Caesar Salad Dressing
We love this Caesar salad dressing. It makes quite a bit, so I often make only half since it doesn’t keep for more than a few days.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: none
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 8–10 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
Ingredients
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 8 anchovy filets
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspooon Worcestershire sauce
- Salt and pepper
- 1 1/2 cups olive oil
- 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan-Regiano cheese
Instructions
- In the bowl of a food processor fitted wth the blade, add the egg yolk, Dijon mustard, garlic, anchovies, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper, and process until smooth.
- Through the feed tube, slowly add the olive oil while the machine is running.
- Add the parmesan and pulse a few times to combine.
- Pour into a jar with a lid and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
To make the panko breadcrumbs, warm a little olive oil in a non-stick pan and add the panko and stir. It takes about two minutes. You’ll know they are done, when the color turns golden.
I’m giving Howard your recipe…he makes a great caesar but this is a great update.
Annie! I’m right with you in needing to update Caesar Salad! Panko will now garnish our salads while continuing to dress them with Ina Garten’s recipe.
I don’t see my comments showing up on your site. Is there something I’m doing wrong to keep them from being published? Just want to make sure you’re receiving them.
Hugs, Diney on Mercer Island
We have been on a Caesar salad kick lately. I love toasted panko on a salad. Thanks for the reminder to do that. I’m trying to clear out some frozen bread so we’re using that up then I’ll go get the panko toasting.
Hi Rachel! That is the best way to use up bread in the freezer! Then, you do panko! xx
Hi Annie,
Thank you for the recipe I love Caesar Salad and I hope you had a lovely 4th. I would be very interested in hearing about downsizing and finding a new home. That is going to happen to us soon and I missed the ‘looking at houses education’ and trusted my husband’s eye, as we were moving countries and I was somewhere else with our young children, so it would be fascinating to hear what .you look for when property assessment.
All the very best in the journey!
I do hope you post about your NYC move.
I always have Panko crumbs on hand but never thought to use them in my Caesar Salad. Sounds like a delicious switch. I would like to follow along on your moving process. We will be downsizing in about two years so any suggestions are welcome.
Hi Deanna,
Well we can learn about downsizing together! Our plan is to be moved by end of year! It’s a process that’s for sure. Even though it’s two years out for you, doesn’t it make you think twice before buying something new? Thank you for your interest!
Annie
I would love to follow along as you down size!!
hi Carmelee! Thanks for your intertest, and for taking the time to leave a note! I’m excited (and a little nervous) about all that needs to happen by end of year…but I’ll be shaing it all right here!
xo
annie
Annie so glad to see this recipe! A local pizza place uses their left over crumbs on their caesar and it is the best! I am going to try this!!