House Salad

I don't know what it is, but every now and then I crave a classic House Salad. You know, that bowl full of lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers that absolutely every chain restaurant serves up complimentary with purchase of an entrée? Nothing fancy or novel, of course. But for me, it's the fork full of the shredded cheddar, crunchy croutons and creamy dressing that's reminiscent of childhood.

Being that this salad is rather simple, I like to reach for tasty, quality ingredients. Sweet and ripe cherry tomatoes. English cucumbers over the standard slicing cucumber. Freshly shredded cheddar for superior texture. And homemade croutons - that's right!!

Croutons couldn't be any easier to make, and a fabulous opportunity to bring some life to stale bread. If you can toast a grilled cheese, you can absolutely toast some croutons! And yes, you can certainly buy a bag of pre-made croutons, but I'm telling you, the extra five minutes spent to make your own is well worth it.

If you're looking for a little added protein to supplement your meal, I like to nestle in pinwheels of deli ham and turkey. A can of chickpeas might do the trick as well.

House Salad

Ingredients

For the garlic croutons

· 2 thick slices of day-old white bread

· 2 tsp olive oil

· 2 tsp butter

· 1 tsp grated garlic

· Pinch of salt & pepper

For the salad

· 10-12oz chopped romaine

· 1 carrot, peeled & shredded

· 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

· 1 english cucumber, thinly sliced

· ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

· 4oz deli turkey, sliced, optional

· 4oz deli ham, sliced, optional

· Creamy dressing (such as ranch, thousand island, blue cheese)

For the croutons… remove the crusts from the slices of bread. Cut the slices into 1/2inch cubes. Melt the olive oil and butter together in a small skillet over medium low heat. Add the grated garlic and fry for about 60 seconds. Add the bread cubes and toss until thoroughly coated in the garlic butter. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper. Arrange the bread cubes in a single layer in the bottom of the skillet and allow to toast and brown. Continue to stir and flip the croutons until golden brown around all sides. Remove from the heat. Set aside and allow to cool.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the romaine, carrots, tomatoes, cucumber, and cheddar cheese. Sprinkle over the garlic croutons. If desired, slice the deli meats into strips and add to the salad. Toss salad with your favorite creamy dressing and serve.

Makes 4 to 6 side salads

Notes

The croutons are best made fresh the day of!

GF Friendly

Gluten Free Friendly!

Swap the bread for your favorite GF brand. I prefer Schar or Canyon Bakehouse.