4hearts of romaine lettuce(or 2 full heads; rinsed and dried)
½cupfreshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
Make the croutons, if using: preheat the oven to 350 F. Spread the bread cubes on a baking sheet with sides. Mix together the olive oil, garlic, and salt in a small bowl, then drizzle over the bread cubes, and toss to coat the bread. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until the bread is golden and toasted.
Make the Dressing: In a blender or food processor, add the mayonnaise, olive oil, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, anchovies (if using), garlic, salt, pepper, and water and process until blended (or just shake everything up in a tightly sealed jar).
Make the Caesar Salad: Tear or thinly slice the romaine hearts and place in a large serving bowl (you should have about 8 cups). Drizzle over about 2/3 of the dressing and toss to combine. Sprinkle over the cheese and toss again until everything is evenly mixed. Add more dressing as needed, but don’t drown it. Leftover dressing may be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Top the salad with croutons, if using, before serving.
Notes
Vegetarian Note: Leave out the Worcestershire sauce (it is made with anchovies), and skip the optional anchovies.What Can the Kids Do?If you’re making the croutons, they can toss the bread with the garlicky olive oil. They can add all of the ingredients for the dressing to the blender or jar, and they can shake if you’re mixing this by hand. They can tear lettuce, and even cut it depending on their knife skills.