I love a good Caesar Salad. With bold flavors and a nice crunch, it’s a timeless classic. The best thing about it is that it’s not hard to make. The key to success is fresh, quality ingredients.

I usually use Romaine hearts for the fresh crunch, which is perfect for the salad.

I whip up the Caesar dressing in the food processor. It takes minutes to make and beats every store bought dressing hands down.

I brush chicken tenders with some of the dressing then I cover and let sit for about an hour. I like chicken tenders because they cook fast, and like the name suggests they are tender! You can use chicken breasts too if you like; I would just pound them to an uniform thickness first so they grill evenly.

They grill up quickly on a nice hot grill. I find the oil from the dressing keeps them from sticking to the grill, but remember: if they seem like they are sticking you are probably trying to turn them too soon. Wait 30 seconds and try again.

To assemble the salad, I start with the dressing at the bottom of the bowl. I just find it makes for an even distribution of the dressing.

Add the lettuce and toss well. Taste to see if you need to drizzle a little more dressing on the salad. Add in the chopped chicken and croutons if you are using them.

I like to use a good quality Parmesan cheese and coarsely grate it. I like to add it directly to the salad rather than put it in the dressing – the flavor just comes through better.

Garnish with crisp bacon and you have the most delicious Caesar Salad ever!