Yummy Caesar Salad

I know this is nothing new to anyone, but I just had to share the most delicious and easy way to prepare a Caesar salad. My friend, Sheree, made this at her house the other day when we were over for dinner and I replicated it last night. This is her recipe. And, you could add chicken for a more complete meal. This salad was seriously like a dessert to me- it is that good.
Caesar Salad

Romaine Leaves, chopped
Lemon Juice, fresh or bottled
Your favorite Caesar dressing (I like La Madeleine and Cardini's)
Black Pepper (fresh cracked, if possible)
Parmesan cheese
Croutons (see recipe for homemade below)

Mix all ingredients together- adjusting flavors to suit your preference. You need to add the lemon juice- just a few drops- to give it that added freshness. I only discovered a few years ago that most Caesar dressings have anchovy filets as a main ingredient so the lemon juice really balances out that flavor perfectly.

To make homemade croutons: Chop your favorite bread (I used La Brea Ciabatta bread from Costco) into bite-sized pieces and lay them on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350F for about 12 minutes, until desired brownness is reached. I put mine in for 12, then lightly brushed olive oil mixed with garlic salt onto the croutons, and baked for 5 more minutes. These croutons make the salad, so do this step if you can- you make them as much as one day ahead of time.

I served the salad with this.