Homemade Chicken Caesar Salad (Printer-Friendly Version)

# What You'll Need:

→ Croutons

01 - 4 cups ciabatta bread cubes
02 - 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
03 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves, chopped
04 - 1 clove garlic, grated
05 - Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Chicken

06 - 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
07 - 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
08 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
09 - 2 teaspoons lemon zest
10 - 1 clove garlic, grated

→ Dressing

11 - ¼ cup mayonnaise
12 - ¼ cup buttermilk
13 - 3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
14 - 1 clove garlic, grated
15 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
16 - 1½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
17 - ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

→ Salad

18 - 2 heads romaine, roughly chopped
19 - ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan

# Let's Cook!:

01 - Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, parsley and garlic; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Spread bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Stir in olive oil mixture and gently toss to combine. Place into oven and bake until crisp and golden, about 13-15 minutes; set aside.
02 - In a small bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. In a gallon size Ziploc bag or large bowl, combine chicken and olive oil mixture; marinate for at least 2 hours, turning the bag occasionally. Drain the chicken from the marinade.
03 - Preheat grill to medium high heat. Add chicken to grill, and cook, turning occasionally, until chicken is completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 4-5 minutes per side. Let cool before dicing into bite-size pieces.
04 - In a medium bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, buttermilk, Parmesan, garlic, lemon juice, Dijon and Worcestershire; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
05 - To assemble the salad, place romaine in a large bowl; top with chicken and croutons. Pour the dressing on top of the salad and gently toss to combine. Top with Parmesan.

# Recipe Notes:

01 - Allow enough time for marinating the chicken (2 hours) for the best flavor. You can prepare the croutons and dressing while the chicken marinates.