Pizza Caesar Salad
Sometimes I order too much pizza, and although eating it cold the next morning is always a great idea, there are times when that just isn’t enough. This Pizza Caesar Salad uses leftover pizza as croutons. I saw this idea online and it’s so smart if you think about it. There’s nothing I love more than pepperoni pizza piled high with Caesar salad. It’s the perfect combo. Just cube up the pizza, toast it in the oven and toss in the salad. It’s genius and so good. I also decided to crisp up some cup pepperoni (the best kind) and tossed that in there too with some fresh basil, homemade Caesar dressing—sans egg because I know some people are weird about that and lots of parmesan cheese.
Of course, if you don’t have any leftover pizza, you can bake up a frozen pizza and then cube it up. Or you can just use regular croutons flavored with Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes and parmesan. The crisped up pepperoni alone will give you that pizza taste. Although please keep this recipe in mind the next time you order pizza. Save a slice or two for this salad. You won’t regret it!
Pizza Caesar Salad
Equipment
- Skillet
- Salad or Mixing Bowl
- Microplane
Ingredients
Dressing:
- 2 garlic cloves grated
- 1 anchovy fillet
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Salad:
- 2-4 slices leftover pizza cubed
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup sliced pepperoni
- 14 ounces little gem or romaine lettuce chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- For the dressing, in a bowl, add the garlic, anchovy, and lemon juice. Use a fork to mash them all together to form a paste. Add the mustard, Worcestershire sauce, mayo, parmesan and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Add the pizza cubes to a baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, dried oregano, dried basil, and red pepper flakes and toss until evenly combined. Bake until golden brown and crispy, 10 to 12 minutes.
- Set a small skillet over moderate heat. Drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Once hot, add the pepperoni and cook until crispy, 5 to 8 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pepperoni onto a plate lined with a paper towel.
- In a large salad bowl, toss together the lettuce, basil leaves, parmesan, crispy pepperoni, pizza croutons, a couple grinds of pepper and as much dressing as you'd like. Transfer to a platter and top with more basil and parmesan. Serve immediately and enjoy!
