Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad

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In my youth I worked in many restaurants and in the process, I ate a lot of restaurant food. I can’t tell you just how many BAD Caesar salads I’ve eaten in my day, but there were a lot. And it certainly wasn’t easy to find a good one.

Then  everything changed when my little brother got a job working at a now defunct restaurant called Clancy’s,  in Winnipeg in the early 1990’s. That was how we discovered this amazing Caesar salad dressing recipe!

However, my very first job was a “salad girl” at Bonanza. I was 14 years old.

I recall my parents having to sign some special form to say I could work; I had begged them. I wanted to have my own money and a real job so badly; not just the chump change I was earning from babysitting at the time.

Surprisingly, for a restaurant that had the biggest salad bar around at the time, (so big that they needed 2 ‘salad girls’ stocking it during the dinner shift) Bonanza had one of the worst Caesar salads I ever tasted!

But they did have an amazing Monterey Chicken.

Copycat Recipes:

There are very few restaurant recipes that I want to recreate, but that chicken is definitely one of them! So, I am on a mission to recreate it. I actually contacted a couple of people who worked there with me back in the 80’s, but even based on their memories, I haven’t been able to get it right.

So, I’ll will keep plugging away at it….

And although I personally never actually worked at Moxie’s, I have eaten there a lot over the years and adore  Moxie’s Steak Salad with Clamato Dressing !  And I happen to think I’ve done a pretty darn good job of recreating it (in a healthy Weight Watchers Way, of course!)

Not copycat:

But this Caesar salad dressing… Oh man, I’m soo lucky that I don’t even have to try to recreate it because my brother got the actual recipe many years ago. It’s no copy cat -it’s the real deal! It is tangy, creamy and oh so delicious!

My Mom started making this salad dressing back then and it has become a cherished family classic. If this Caesar salad is not served at a special meal or gathering in our family, it is very unusual. I moved away from Winnipeg many years ago, but I still serve this salad at every special meal I make. And whenever I bring it to a dinner or potluck I always get asked for the recipe.

Retirement

When I took that job at Bonanza at the age of 14 my parents told me I’d have plenty of time to work and instead, I should just enjoy being a kid. I wish I listened to them because I’ve been working ever since.

And by the age of 30 I was pretty much ready to retire. Several years later, I am still ready to retire, but that won’t be for a while yet. Fortunately, I’m not working in the restaurant business, as I had my fill of that for a lifetime. And although my parents were right, one thing I have no regrets over is being introduced to Bonanza’s Chicken Monterey. But I’m especially thankful that my brother did his own stint in restaurants and was able to score this amazing Caesar salad dressing recipe!

What to do with leftover Caesar Salad Dressing

I always end up with a little extra dressing (or make sure I do now that I created these) So if you have leftover Caesar salad dressing, then give these Caesar Twice Baked Potatoes a try! They are soooo tasty!

Inspiration

I loved this Caesar salad dressing recipe so much that it inspired me to create this Fried Caesar Chicken!

If you like this recipe, PIN IT for later!

5 from 4 votes

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Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad

This Grilled Chicken Caesar salad boasts the best Caesar salad dressing ever! And anyone that has tried it agrees. This recipe came from a restaurant (Clancy's) that no longer exists, but it has become a family favorite and always requested at dinners and potlucks!

Course main

Cuisine American

Keyword caesar salad, chicken

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 8 people

Calories 186 kcal

Author Adapted from Clancy's restaurant

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts boneless and skinless
• Cajun seasoning
• Garlic powder

Caesar Salad Dressing:

• 2 whole eggs * you can use pasturized whole eggs or pasturized liquid eggs
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 -50g can of anchovies (drained) * you can substitute anchovy paste
• 1 ounce worcestershire sauce
• 1 ounce lemon juice
• 1 ounce white wine vingegar
• 1 cup olive oil

Salad:

• 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 -142 g bag of ceasar salad croutons
• 1-2 head romaine lettuce washed and dried

Garnish:

• parmesan cheese for sprinkling
• lemon wedges (optional)

Instructions

1. Generously sprinkle garlic powder and Cajun seasoning on both sides of chicken breast. Grill chicken breasts until cooked through and no longer pink in the middle

2. Wash and cut lettuce into bite sized pieces. Add croutons, parmeasan cheese and cooked chicken.

Caesar Salad Dressing

1. Add eggs, garlic, anchovies, wine vinegar, worcestershire and lemon juice to blender and mix until smooth. Then slowly add olive oil and blend for another minute or so, until combined

2. Mix dressing into lettuce mixture until combined. Sprinkle on a little more parmesan cheese and add lemon wedges, if desired

Recipe Notes

NOTES:

*This recipe uses raw eggs.

**If you are concerned about this, then use pasturized whole eggs or liquid eggs. **You can read more about egg saftety HERE and HERE

 

Nutrition Facts

Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad

Amount Per Serving

Calories 186 Calories from Fat 63

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 7g 11%

Saturated Fat 1g 5%

Cholesterol 116mg 39%

Sodium 246mg 10%

Potassium 479mg 14%

Total Carbohydrates 1g 0%

Protein 26g 52%

Vitamin A 8.5%

Vitamin C 4.5%

Calcium 6.4%

Iron 4.8%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

This recipe is part of The Country Cook’s Weekend Potluck