This Roasted Broccoli Caesar salad brings all the kids to the yard, let me just tell you. Man it’s good. And it’s SO EASY! It’s essentially a sheet pan meal that you serve atop lots of crunchy, cold lettuce, thus qualifying it as a salad. But it’s so much heartier than a simple Caesar salad – it really is perfect as a meal. And this is coming from a person who doesn’t normally love to have just a “salad for dinner.”

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This one breaks that rule, with with its addicting mix of textures and flavors going on. It’s filling and substantial and interesting enough to be enjoyed all by its lonesome. Plus? It’s really easy to make. You can even make it easier by using pre-cut broccoli florets and store-bought Caesar dressing, if you like.

Read on to check out the deets for this simple broccoli caesar salad recipe, or just simply jump ahead to the recipe itself.

What you’ll need

This salad is built on a very tasty mix of things that just go together so well. I am sort of obsessed with roasted broccoli and my kids also love it. So, any vehicle to get more of it onto our plates is always welcome. Anyway, here are a few small-ish tips for you:

INGREDIENTS

For the Sheet Pan Salad

2 crowns of broccoli, cut into small florets (a large bag of pre-cut fresh broccoli also works)

Olive oil, as needed

3 to 4 cups cubed bread, about ¾-inch cubes (I used day-old dinner rolls, as staled bread really soaks up the oil and toasted up wonderfully. A perfect use for past-its-prime-bread if ever their was one)

1 Romaine lettuce heart, separated into leaves (or you can chop it)

24 pepperoni (or more)

8-ounce ball of burrata (mozzarella can be subbed)

Grated or shaved parmesan or pecorino, to taste

For the Lazy Caesar Dressing

This dressing is simple and insanely flavorful. As is the way with Caesar dressings, yes? Yes. But just know that you should riff on this to your heart’s content, making it more or less your own. This is a just a roadmap to hep get you started.

2 tablespoons Dijon Dressing
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
Juice of ½ lemon (plus more as needed)
1 to 2 anchovy fillets, chopped
1 small or ½ large garlic clove
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, as needed (I use about ⅓ cup)
Salt and pepper, to taste

How to make this Roasted Broccoli Caesar Salad

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Cover a large sheet pan with parchment paper (optional, but helpful with cleanup)

2. Put the broccoli florets on the sheet pan on one side, and the bread cubes on the other. Toss everything very well with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper (if you need to use 2 sheet pans, that’s fine). Lay the pepperoni on top, just scatter them over the pan and roast for 15 to 20 minutes, depending on how big your broccoli is. Take the pan(s) out when the broccoli is nice and charred on the tips and the bread is super golden and crunchy. The pepperoni will be very crispy now, and significantly darkened.

3. Arrange the lettuce on a big platter and top with the sheet pan contents. Tear the burrata and tuck pieces in all over the salad. Scatter with some shaved/grated parmesan or pecorino. Serve with the Lazy Caesar Dressing (below).

How to make a “Lazy Caesar Dressing”

You could absolutely make a classic Caesar Salad Dressing and use that here. The major difference between the classic and the “Lazy” version is in the emulsification of egg yolks. Or, more specifically, in the lack of it in this version. Rather than using raw egg yolks and olive oil as the base here, we’re just going to sidestep that whole part of things and use mayo.

Mayo, after all, is just egg yolks and oil that have been emulsified. This dressing has so many intensely flavorful things in it, and it is going on a salad that also has a lot of flavorful things, that there’s really no need to do the whole thing from scratch. Give yourself the easy out here, and reach for the jar of Hellman’s (or, Duke’s if you’re in my house).

Customize to your taste

It’s worth noting that my recipe here is more of a template and a jumping of point. I want you to ultimate create the dressing of your dreams, so just sort of start with what I”ve got and then take it and run with it in the direction of your all-time favorite Caesar.

Too mustardy? Just add more mayo and olive oil.

Hate anchovies? I wouldn’t advise leaving them out, but you could get away with using just one, if that’s all you can stand. You could, in a pinch, even substitute a teaspoon of fish sauce if you’ve got that already and don’t feel like buying a ting of anchovies. That would work fine! I’m sure it’s been done before, to happy results.

And, if you’re really pressed for time. You could just use a very good quality store-bought dressing. Caesar dressing is the only store-bought variety that I’ve ever found to actually be pretty okay. And I have no qualms with store-bought things, but there is just no comparing homemade salad dressings to store-bought ones. They always reek of preservatives and just taste … not great. Caesar might be the only exception here.

DIRECTIONS

Combine all ingredients through the garlic in a food processor and, with the motor running, slowly drizzle in olive oil until a smooth, pourable consistency is reached (I use about 1.3 cup). Taste, season with salt and pepper and adjust anything as you need to. Too mustardy? Add more mayo. Love anchovies? Throw another in! Just adjust until you love it.

If you like the looks of this Roasted Broccoli Caesar Salad, you might also want to check out:

A Perfect Fall Salad

Autumn Harvest Crunch Salad

Pizza Night Salad

Roasted Broccoli Caesar Salad with Crispy Pepperoni & Burrata (sheet pan recipe!)