caeser salad with sweet roll croutons

I LOVE Caesar salad. It's my favorite salad and I can eat many servings of it. I made my own Caesar dressing once, but it didn't taste quite the same, so I need to work on that recipe more. I found the dressing and it was very yummy. This post is for sweet roll croutons. 

Ingredients:

Hawaiian sweet rolls - 4 rolls *see TIPS
Olive oil - 1 and half TBS
Italian seasoning - 2 tsp
Dried Basil or parsley - 1 tsp
Garlic powder -  1 tsp
Salt - pinch

Romaine lettuce - 1 head (chopped & washed)
Grated Parmesan cheese - as much as you like, usually about 1/2 cup for 1 head of lettuce

Your favorite Caesar salad dressing   

It's yummy, plus the company gives all their profits to charity! What an awesome dressing!

 

 

 

 

Prep:

1. Cut the Hawaiian rolls into 1/2 inch (or smaller, depending on how big you want your croutons to be) chunks. Leave it on a kitchen counter for 30 minutes. If you are rushing, you can skip the leaving on the counter part.
2. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

I like my croutons big, but cut it to the size you like - even different shapes!

Cook:

1.  Turn the broiler on, or if you want to use oven instead, turn up to 400 F.  You can also use oven toaster if you have one (I want one!)
2. On a prepared baking sheet, toss cut-up rolls with the rest of the ingredients. The pieces should be wet from olive oil and it should cover the whole piece. 
3. [Broiling] Broil it for 2-3 minutes, use spatula to turn the croutons and broil for another 1-2 minutes. Make sure you don't burn them. :) Keep tossing. Turn off the broiler, cover with aluminum foil and leave it in for 5-7 minutes to dry out. 
4. [Baking] Bake in 400F oven for 3-4 minutes, turn using spatula and bake for another 4-5 minutes. It should turn golden brown. Turn the oven off, cover with aluminum foil and let it dry out.

Toss with your hands so you can make sure each piece gets the good stuff on

Watch the oven - multitasking will lead to croutons like the one above. :)

Serve:

1. Toss cut romaine lettuce with cheese. Pour desired amount of dressing. Toss. Sprinkle with homemade croutons. Do this just right before you eat. 

TIPS

• No Hawaiian rolls? No worries! It works with any kind of bread/rolls. If you are using regular toast bread, use 5 slices.