Name: Cowboy Caesar Salad
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup olive oil; 2 garlic cloves , minced; 5 ounces prepared cornbread , cut into 1/2-inch pieces; 3 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce; Salt and pepper; 1/2 cup mayonnaise; 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese , plus 1 cup shredded; 2 anchovy fillets , rinsed and patted dry (optional); 1 tablespoon lemon juice; 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar; 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce; 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard; 3 romaine hearts , torn into bite-sized pieces (about 12 cups); 1 (16-ounce) can drained and rinsed kidney beans

Why This Recipe Works

For the perfect Cowboy Caesar Salad, we started with our favorite Caesar Salad dressing, which eliminated the raw egg of the traditional dressing but added depth with anchovies and Worcestershire sauce. Using just a small amount of garlic prevented the garlic flavor from overpowering our other ingredients, while vinegar and lemon juice added brightness and balance.

Canned kidney beans incorporated the flavors of chili and gave our Cowboy Caesar plenty of substance. We turned up the heat by coating store-bought cornbread with smoky minced chipotle peppers for croutons with a kick. Extra chipotle in the dressing lent additional heat.

Before You Begin

You can substitute two 10-ounce bags of chopped romaine lettuce for the hearts.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk oil and garlic in large bowl; reserve ¼ cup. Toss bread with remaining oil mixture and 2 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chiles in adobo, and season with salt and pepper. Bake bread on rimmed baking sheet until golden, about 20 minutes. Cool completely.

Process remaining 1 teaspoon chipotle chiles in adobo, mayonnaise, grated Parmesan, anchovy (if using), lemon juice, vinegar, Worcestershire, mustard, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper in blender until smooth. With machine running, pour in reserved oil and process until thoroughly incorporated.

Toss romaine, shredded Parmesan, and dressing in large bowl. Add croutons and kidney beans and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.