Homemade croutons are super easy to make, and even easier if you save stale bits of bread and baguettes in your freezer. And with a savory crunch that’s light and fresh, nothing elevates your Caesar salad faster than homemade croutons.
Caesar salad became my go-to salad over the holidays and my family enjoyed it more than once during their week-long stay. Then I trotted it out for a post-Christmas potluck, and again for New Year’s Eve. This past weekend, the Caesar garnered rave reviews at a friend’s pizza night. At this point, my Casear is like my favorite pair of jeans that I’ve worn everywhere and everyone has seen, yet I can’t resist pulling them on one more time.
The secret here is my go-to store-bought low-fast dressing, Ken’s Steak House Lite Caesar. Sure, it might seem wrong to go all-out on the croutons only to use store-bought dressing, but I don’t have the first clue how to make a low-fast dressing taste as amazing as Ken’s.
So if you’re tasked with bringing a salad to your next potluck, consider giving this one a try: combine one package Romaine lettuce with 1/4-1/3 cup Ken’s Steak House Lite Caesar, shred some fresh Parmesan cheese over the top and then grind a few twists of sea salt into the mix. Toss, then toss again with these savory homemade croutons.
I guarantee you’ll be invited back for sure.
- 6-10 slices stale baguette
- Olive oil
- Freshly ground sea salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- Preheat the oven to 400°.
- Chop the bread into small cubes, roughly the same size.
- Place the bread cubes in a large bowl, and drizzle with olive oil until coated; about 3-4 tablespoons.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until lightly browned.
- Allow to cool before adding to salads. May also be served with soup.