Garlic Caesar Salad with Homemade Croutons

I've been making this garlic Caesar salad for years and it's so good. The dressing is Girard's lite and in my opinion the best Caesar salad dressing going! However, when you add raw minced garlic...it's even better. The key to a perfect Caesar salad is making sure the lettuce is perfectly dry before putting on the salad dressing. Any moisture on the lettuce waters down the dressing and the flavor.

 

Ingredients:

Grilled chicken breast
Romaine lettuce
Girard's light Caesar salad dressing
1 large or 2 medium cloves minced garlic
4 tablespoons fresh grated parmesan cheese


Preparation:
To make the crouton, take a french baguette and slice and dice into 1/2" pieces. Place the bread on a baking pan and drizzle some olive oil and toss. Add some salt and pepper and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Once golden brown remove from the oven and set a side.

   

Prepare you lettuce by cutting the lettuce into bite size pieces washing in a salad spinner. Make sure the lettuce is perfectly dry because if there is water on the lettuce, the salad dressing will get watered down and won't be nearly as good. Place the prepared lettuce in a large salad bowl.

 

Take the salad dressing and add to a small bowl. Add the minced garlic to the salad dressing and mix well. Add the salad dressing and parmesan cheese to the lettuce. Mix the salad very well so the dressing is evenly coats the lettuce.

 

To serve, place a portion of the salad on a plate. Top with the croutons, grate on a little more parmesan cheese and a grind of fresh ground pepper.