‘The Pioneer Woman’: Ree Drummond’s Caesar Salad Spears Have One Ingredient That Sends Them Over the Top

For Ree Drummond, Food Network’s The Pioneer Woman, anytime of the year is an excellent time for a salad. Salads are generally more prevalent in summer, as the need for the lighter fare is in higher demand during warmer months. However, Drummond believes that a bed of crunchy greens topped with a dressing, raw or grilled vegetables, croutons, or a combination of the above hits the spot at all times. Ree Drummond’s Caesar Salad Spears recipe hits all those tasty notes with one ingredient that sends it over the top.

A good salad is much more than a bowl of greens

Drummond often serves a salad as a main course. She piles on protein and tasty add-ons with crunchy toppings and delicious dressings.

Whether after something crisp and refreshing or bold and peppery, your salad’s flavor and texture can be transformed based on what type of lettuce you choose. The supermarket’s produce section has varieties of lettuce in all tastes, textures, and colors.

Every salad tastes better with something crispy and crunchy in the mix, whether it’s a big helping of croutons, candied nuts, crushed chips, or anything that tantalizes your taste buds.

However, remember to add these elements last so they don’t get soggy.

Drummond has utilized all types of protein to top her greens. She’s used fish, taco meat, grilled and fried chicken, tuna, and even cheeseburgers to add a twist to her plate. One’s imagination only limits the possibilities.

Ree Drummond’s Caesar Salad Spears have 1 Ingredient that sends it over the top

Drummond, who loves to experiment with different salads, admits that she too has her favorites.

“Fun fact: Caesar salad is one of my favorite room-service orders,” Drummond revealed via her Pioneer Woman website.

The star of Drummond’s Ceasar salad recipe is Romaine Lettuce.

With its broad leaves and crunchy center, Romaine Lettuce is perfect as the base for the crunchy and savory elements of the base ingredients for the recipe.

However, one element of this particular Pioneer Woman favorite adds a surprising twist to this salad standby, spicy and crunchy croutons.

Instead of plain toppings, Drummond uses red pepper flakes to spice things up. Adding this surprise ingredient elevates a basic crouton recipe to a different level with a sweet heat that perfectly complements the salad’s creamy dressing.

How to make Ree Drummond’s Caesar Salad Spears

There are three separate parts to Drummond’s recipe. However, none is too difficult for even novice cooks to master.

These include element number one, the croutons.

To make the slightly spicy salad toppers, you will need salted butter, olive oil, French bread, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper.

Combine butter and olive oil in a small saucepan over low heat. Cube bread and place in a large bowl tossed with the butter/olive oil. Then add the remainder of the ingredients to the bowl before pouring atop a baking sheet and baking at 250 degrees until croutons are crispy.

The dressing ingredients include olive oil, garlic, anchovy fillets, Dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, lemon, salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese.

Combine olive oil and garlic in a blender. Then add the anchovies, which will blend smoothly into the oil and add a slightly nutty flavor instead of a fishy one to the dressing. Follow with mustard, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper. Blend dressing, add parmesan, and blend until smooth.

The salad base includes Romaine lettuce and Parmesan cheese shavings.

Place lettuce leaves on a platter. Top with spicy croutons and as much dressing as you desire.

The Pioneer Woman airs Saturdays at 10 a.m. EST on The Food Network.