Homemade Caesar Salad with Mason Jar Dressing and Croutons
A from-scratch Caesar salad that’s easier than you’d guess. The Caesar dressing shakes up in a mason jar with pantry staples — mayonnaise, lemon, Dijon, Worcestershire, Parmesan — and keeps in the fridge for a couple of weeks. The croutons come from leftover French bread, tossed with olive oil, Parmesan, and a quick seasoning mix, and toasted in about 12 to 15 minutes. No blender, no anchovies, no special equipment — just crisp romaine, real flavor, and a great way to pull a leftovers night together.
Let’s Get Real About Leftovers
Hi, I’m Mary Katherine, and welcome to my table. Here’s what was happening in my kitchen: we had a fridge full of leftovers, and every single one of them was a main dish. Not a vegetable in sight. We were also going to be gone for a few days, so I needed something that would pull all of those main dishes together, get some veggies on the table, and feed us for a day or two.
Caesar salad is one of my favorites. I could eat it as a main dish with some grilled chicken and be completely happy most any day. So I pulled out a big head of romaine and some leftover French bread I’d cubed up and frozen from another recipe, and I realized I had everything I needed for the dressing already on hand.
Now, I’ll tell you up front — I made a little bit of a mess on the counter, and you’ll see that in the video. That’s real life. You just roll with it and make do. And I love that I didn’t have to go out and buy a single thing. Learn to use what you have and make it into something else, and you can pull a whole meal together even when what’s in the fridge needs a little help.
Homemade Caesar Salad
Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Chill Time: 1 hour Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes Servings: 6 side salads
Ingredients
For the Caesar Dressing:
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh if you have it)
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of black pepper
- ¼ to ½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 clove garlic, minced (or the jarred equivalent)
- 1 to 2 tablespoons milk, to thin before serving (optional)
For the Croutons:
- 6 cups cubed French bread (about 8 to 10 slices, day-old or frozen)
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ tablespoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
For the Salad:
- 1 large head romaine lettuce
- Grated Parmesan cheese, for topping
Instructions
- Make the dressing first so it can chill. In a wide-mouth mason jar, add the mayonnaise, olive oil, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and Dijon mustard. I mix everything right in the jar because we don’t use all the dressing at once — it stays fresher if you dress the salad each time you eat it.
- Season it. Add a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper. You can do this to taste — if you want your pinch a little bigger, go for it. Add the Parmesan (I used close to a half cup, but start with a fourth if you want a milder flavor) and the garlic.
- Shake it up. Put the lid on good and tight and shake until everything is well mixed and you can see the pepper and seasonings distributed all through it. If it needs a stir with a spoon, that’s fine too. It’ll be fairly thick at this point — that’s exactly what it’s supposed to look like. Put it in the fridge to chill for about an hour.
- Mix the crouton seasoning. In a small bowl, stir together the kosher salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. Mixing them first keeps all the garlic from landing in one spot and all the pepper in another when you sprinkle it over the bread.
- Coat the bread. Put your cubed French bread in a large bowl. Pour the olive oil over the top, sprinkle on the Parmesan, then sprinkle on the seasoning mix. Stir to coat everything as evenly as you can. You could also do all of this in a Ziploc bag and shake it.
- Bake the croutons. Spread the bread out in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Try to lay them flat so none are sticking up higher than the rest — those will dry out faster. Bake at 375°F for 12 to 20 minutes depending on how crunchy you like them. I use the fan bake setting and mine were perfect at 12 minutes; a conventional oven will be closer to 15. Keep a watch on them.
- Test a crouton. Let them cool a minute, then taste one. Mine were crispy on the outside with just a touch of chewiness inside, and I love them that way. If you want yours crispy all the way through, pop them back in for a couple more minutes.
- Chop the romaine. Wash and dry your lettuce. Keep the head together and slice long strips from the core down through different sections, then come across and cut thin strips the other way so you end up with smaller pieces that are easy to handle. Stop before that last bit toward the core. A salad spinner helps here — mine was still a little wet in the middle.
- Thin the dressing. After chilling, the dressing will have thickened even more. Add a tablespoon or two of milk, close the jar, and shake well. It’ll turn a lot creamier. I added about another teaspoon after that — you can adjust until it’s the consistency you like.
- Put it together. Put as much lettuce as you’ll eat tonight in a bowl (store the rest in a Ziploc bag for the next day). Sprinkle Parmesan over the top, add a couple of good spatulas full of croutons, and pour on some dressing — start with less than you think. Toss it and add more if you want. Caesar is one of those salads I really prefer tossed and fully coated, but you want the lettuce covered, not swimming.
- Plate it and enjoy. Get a crouton in that first bite. Let’s give it a taste.
My Tips for Homemade Caesar Salad
- Make the dressing ahead. It keeps in the fridge for a couple of weeks in the jar. It’ll thicken as it sits, so just shake in a little milk before you use it.
- Fresh lemon juice is better if you have lemons. Bottled works fine in a pinch — that’s what I used.
- Grate your own Parmesan or use the jar. Either works. Use closer to a half cup in the dressing if you want a stronger Parmesan flavor.
- Go easy on the Dijon if you’re not sure about it. I get just a hint of it coming through, which I love, but you can cut it down or leave it out.
- Freeze leftover bread for croutons. I’d frozen 8 to 10 slices of French bread from another recipe, and it was perfect for this.
- Dress only what you’ll eat. Store the extra romaine dry in a bag and dress it fresh next time. It’ll last a lot longer that way.
- Make it a main dish by adding grilled chicken on top.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this Caesar dressing have anchovies in it?
No. This is a mayonnaise-based Caesar dressing — the Worcestershire sauce gives you that savory depth without any anchovies.
How long does homemade Caesar dressing last in the fridge?
About two weeks, stored in a sealed jar. It will thicken up as it sits; shake in a little milk to loosen it before serving.
Can I make Caesar dressing without a blender?
Yes. This recipe is mixed and shaken entirely in a mason jar. No blender, whisk, or food processor needed.
Why is my Caesar dressing so thick?
Mayonnaise-based dressings thicken as they chill. Add milk a tablespoon at a time and shake until it reaches the consistency you like.
What kind of bread is best for homemade croutons?
Day-old French bread is ideal because it’s sturdy and dries out nicely. Sourdough, Italian bread, or leftover dinner rolls also work.
Can I use frozen bread to make croutons?
Yes. Freeze leftover bread, then cube it straight from the freezer (or slightly thawed) and toss with the oil and seasonings.
How long do you bake croutons at 375?
12 to 20 minutes, depending on how crisp you want them. Convection (fan bake) is closer to 12 minutes; a conventional oven is closer to 15.
How do you keep homemade croutons crispy?
Let them cool completely, then store in an airtight container at room temperature. They’ll stay crisp for several days.
Can I make Caesar salad ahead of time?
Make the dressing and croutons ahead, and wash and chop the lettuce. Store everything separately and toss right before serving so the lettuce stays crisp.
What can I add to Caesar salad to make it a meal?
Grilled chicken is the classic choice. Shrimp, salmon, or crispy bacon are also great additions.
More Salads and Caesar Favorites
- Chicken Bacon Caesar Casserole
- Chicken Caesar Wraps
- 3 Simple Salads You’ll Make All Summer Long
- Chicken Club Pasta Salad with Homemade Ranch
- Homemade Cast Iron Skillet Bread (great for croutons)
I hope you’ll give this homemade Caesar salad a try — and if you have a family recipe you’d like to see me make, send it to me through the From Your Kitchen to Ours recipe submission form.
Thank you so much for joining me at my table today — leftovers, counter mess, and all. Remember to go out today and find somebody who needs a little bit of kindness and give them some of yours.
Homemade Caesar Salad with Mason Jar Dressing and Croutons
Ingredients
Caesar Dressing
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice fresh if you have it
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch black pepper
- 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese up to 1/2 cup for a stronger flavor
- 1 clove garlic minced, or the jarred equivalent
- 1 tablespoon milk to thin before serving, 1 to 2 tablespoons, optional
Homemade Croutons
- 6 cups cubed French bread about 8 to 10 slices, day-old or frozen
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Salad
- 1 large head romaine lettuce
- grated Parmesan cheese for topping
Instructions
Caesar Dressing
- In a wide-mouth mason jar, combine the mayonnaise, olive oil, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and Dijon mustard.
- Add a pinch each of salt and pepper, the Parmesan, and the garlic.
- Seal the lid tightly and shake until well combined. The dressing will be fairly thick. Chill in the refrigerator for about 1 hour.
Croutons
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, stir together the kosher salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder.
- Place the cubed bread in a large bowl. Pour the olive oil over the top, sprinkle with the Parmesan, then sprinkle with the seasoning mix. Stir to coat evenly (or shake it all in a zip-top bag).
- Spread the bread in a single flat layer on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake 12 to 20 minutes, until golden brown and crisp (about 12 minutes on convection, about 15 in a conventional oven). Cool slightly and test one; return to the oven for a few minutes if you want them crispier.
Assemble the Salad
- Wash and dry the romaine. Cut long strips from the core down, then cut across into thin strips. Discard the core end.
- Remove the dressing from the fridge. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons milk, seal, and shake until creamy. Adjust to your preferred consistency.
- Place the lettuce you plan to serve in a large bowl. Sprinkle with Parmesan, add croutons, and pour on a little dressing. Toss until the lettuce is coated but not swimming; add more dressing as needed. Serve immediately.
Notes
-
- Dressing keeps: About 2 weeks in the fridge in a sealed jar. It thickens as it sits — shake in a little milk before serving.
- Lemon: Fresh lemon juice is best if you have lemons; bottled works fine in a pinch.
- Parmesan: Use closer to 1/2 cup in the dressing for a stronger flavor.
- Dijon: Not sure about it? Cut it down or leave it out.
- Lettuce: Store undressed romaine in a zip-top bag and dress it fresh each time for the longest shelf life.
- Make it a meal: Add grilled chicken on top.
