Grilled Caesar Salad

I\’m thinking BBQ season may be on its way out the door. I hope not, but just in case, I thought it was time to post about one of our favorite summer-time BBQ recipes. Caesar salad made on the grill!

When I first learned that romaine lettuce could be grilled, I did a double take. I thought, \”Umm… Not totally sure how good that will be! How could lettuce possibly stand up to heat on a grill?\”

Thankfully, I decided to give it a shot anyways (you\’d be surprised at all the things that actually can be BBQ\’ed!) Here\’s the recipe and I hope your last days of summer are fun-filled and safe. Cheers!

INGREDIENTS:

– 1 half of a Romaine head for each person

– 1/4 cup mayonnaise

– 1/4 olive oil

– juice of one lemon

– 3/4 teaspoon worcestershire sauce

– 1/4-1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic (depending on how much you like garlic!)

– 1/4 cup parmesan cheese (we prefer the shaved kind)

* We also like to sneak some cherry tomatoes halves, croutons and bacon into our Caesar salads. I would say the first two are optional – bacon, however, is not! <grin>

Pre-Make the Dressing:

Combine mayonnaise, olive oil, lemon juice, worcestershire sauce and garlic into a small processor. Mix it up until it has a nice consistency. Set aside in the fridge until ready for use.

Grilling the Lettuce:

Carefully cut your romaine heads in half, vertically. Then I do my very best to wash the inside of the leaves of the halved head. It is tricky but the head can be washed and kept in tact. Once the halved-heads are dry, brush the lettuce with a light coating of olive oil. Place on your BBQ grill for about three minutes each (enough to get some grill marks on it). Although Romaine can handle BBQ\’ing quite well, ensure not to leave the lettuce on too long.

Set each head on an individual plate and drizzle with your dressing. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese and bacon over each halved-head. Add bacon, tomatoes and croutons if you desire. Enjoy!