This is not the kind of caesar dressing made with whole anchovies and egg yolks, stirred up table-side by candlelight in an old-timey steak house. Instead it’s a delicious homemade version of the kind from a bottle that you probably grew up with. It’s got a ton of Parmesan and a decent amount of garlic, and it’s delicious on hearty greens.
Jump to the recipe if you want to hit the ground running, or read on for some tips for success and ideas of ways to use it up.
Tips for success
1. Use a good amount of garlic.
This dressing relies on a generous amount of garlic, which is part of its charm. If you’re not a garlic fan, this might not be the one for you. But you’re also welcome to adjust the garlic up or down, based on your preference. But I think even garlic lovers will be satisfied with the 1 1/2 Tbsp in this recipe.
2. Make it ahead for easy prep.
It will last in the fridge for at least 5 days, so feel free to make it ahead for easy meal prep or entertaining.
3. Use the right grate of parm
You can use any finely grated parmesan or pecorino romano you’d like. It’s just important that it’s finely grated for it to blend smoothly into the dressing. You can buy it grated this way, you can use a food processor, or you can use a micro-planer (which is what I did while testing this recipe).
A micro-planer tends to grate up fluffier. If you’re weighing your ingredients, it’s all the same. But if you’re measuring in cups and tablespoons or eyeballing it (no judgment!), keep in mind that densely-packed cups of cheese or more densely-grated cheese measures differently. Since I tested this recipe with a micro-planer, that means you should use fewer cups if you’re using a denser grate of cheese.
4. Don’t just use it for caesar salads!
This dressing is great for dunking, drizzling, and dressing. See my list of ideas (the next section) for more ideas.
Ways to Use This Creamy Caesar Dressing
- On roasted kale
- Folded into a pasta salad
- On a Caesar salad with crispy chicken
- Make a simple dressed green salad with parmesan or pecorino romano shavings
- Serve with crudités
- Make smash burgers with lettuce, tomato, pickles, American cheese, and a drizzle of this dressing instead of your usual burger sauce
- Dress a kale or cabbage slaw with this Caesar dressing
- Use in your favorite potato salad recipe in place of mayo or vinaigrette
Creamy Caesar Dressing
- Yield: 1¾ cups [420 g]
Ingredients
- 1½ cups [85 g] finely grated parmesan or pecorino romano
- ¾ cup [175 g] mayonnaise
- ¼ cup [60 g] red wine vinegar
- 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1½ Tbsp water
- 1½ Tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1½ Tbsp pressed or minced garlic
- ¾ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ to ½ tsp salt
Instructions
- Combine the Parmesan, mayo, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, water, mustard, garlic, pepper, and salt in a jar or mixing bowl. Whisk or shake together until smooth and creamy.
- Storage: This dressing lasts for about 5 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
Psst… by the way, I love this recipe so much, I ended up including it in my cookbook, Piecemeal.
If you like this recipe as much as I do, you might like my book! It’s full of mix-and-match recipes and inspiration for fun and easy meals. There are recipes in it for roasted kale, antipasto pasta salad, and caesar salad with crispy chicken that all use this creamy caesar dressing.
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