Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Creamy winter caesar with garlicky croutons
A salad can be exactly what you feel like in colder weather, especially with sweet squash and garlicky croutons to dig through. This Caesar has enough going on to keep every forkful interesting. Get a little of the crisp bread and creamy dressing together before they're all gone.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Original yield
- Serves 2
- Ingredients
- 14 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Dinner
- Primary protein
- Chicken · Pork
- Cooking method
- Baking · Baked & roasted · Roasting · Grilling
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 30 minutes or less
A few quick notes
1. Watch the kale closely
The kale only gets a short roast before it comes off the tray. Some pieces should crisp up while the rest softens, so don't leave it in for the whole squash time.
2. Use the garlic twice
After rubbing the bread with the garlic clove, keep that same clove for the dressing. It gives the croutons a garlicky edge without wasting the bit you still need to blend.
3. Let the prosciutto cool
The prosciutto crisps under the grill, then firms up more as it cools. Chop it into shards after that so it stays crunchy when it goes into the bowl.
Get to know the ingredients
Butternut squash
Slice the squash into thin half moons as directed so it roasts through quickly after the kale comes off the tray. It should be seasoned and oiled separately from the kale.
Seeded sourdough
The bread is rubbed with garlic before it's cubed, then baked with oil and salt. Seeded sourdough makes chunky croutons with a bit of chew under the golden edges.
Greek yogurt and mayonnaise
The dressing gets its creaminess from both Greek yogurt and mayonnaise, with lemon, Dijon and parmesan blended in. Season it after everything is in the blender so the balance is right.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 2. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 5 steps completeMake room for Creamy winter caesar with garlicky croutons
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
The last little job
Once the squash, kale, croutons, prosciutto and chicken are in the bowl, toss them through the dressing and finish with the remaining finely grated parmesan. Add it at the end so it doesn't disappear into the blender.
A little more help as you go
Keep the tray organised
The squash and kale can share a large flat tray if you keep them on separate sides. That makes it easy to lift the kale out early while the squash carries on roasting.
Season in stages
Salt is added to the vegetables, the croutons and the dressing. Those separate pinches matter here because the salad has roasted bits, crunchy bread and a creamy dressing coming together at the end.
A few questions you might have
Do I cook the kale for the same length of time as the squash?
No. Roast the kale for the first 5 mins only, then move it to a bowl. The squash stays in the oven for another 15 mins.
What happens to the garlic after I rub it on the bread?
Don't throw it away. The rubbed garlic clove goes into the blender with the lemon juice, mustard, yogurt, mayonnaise and parmesan for the dressing.
Should the roast chicken be cooked already?
Yes, use leftover roast chicken that's already cooked and chopped. It goes into the bowl at the end with the roasted squash, kale, croutons and prosciutto.
Do I need to blend all the parmesan into the dressing?
Blend in most of it, then keep the rest back for finishing the salad after it's tossed.
Can the prosciutto go in straight from the grill?
Let it cool first, then chop it into shards. Cooling helps it crisp properly before it gets mixed through the salad.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: bbcgoodfood.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
