Caesar Slaw

I'm always looking for new slaw recipes because I don't like the traditional sweet-and-heavy-on-the-mayo type of cabbage salads. My family loves Caesar Salad, though, and so a recipe for slaw with Caesar dressing appealed to me. Even though I found this on the Kraft website, I just substitute homemade Caesar dressing for the bottled dressing.

And it was good. And simple. Oh yeah.

I think the bacon sealed the deal. Not a traditional Caesar ingredient, I know, but I like it (of course...).




I cooked the bacon in the microwave while I was chopping the other ingredients (alternately, use a skillet to cook them). The microwave is less messy (when the bacon is covered with paper towels) and it gets the bacon really crisp, evenly, without any burned spots.

This bacon is about half-way done in the picture. I don't really time it, I just put it in for 2 minute intervals and turn and move the bacon around on the plate in between. The last couple of times I think I just do 1 minute. It might have taken 8-10 minutes to get really crisp.

I'm sure there is no "right" way to chop cabbage, but for some reason it took me years of trying different methods before I learned to cut in a way that produces small enough shreds, but not too small, and is easy to get on a fork. It makes a nice looking salad (versus the pile of mush I created with a food processor!) and allows the dressing to coat the pieces evenly.

Slice the head into quarters first and core each quarter. Then slice each quarter lengthwise. This was the key for me, I don't know why. I spent years cutting the quarters width wise (starting from the pointy end) and didn't like the large pieces of ribs I'd get. This way slices the ribs thinly enough that they don't bother me.

Then I usually turn the pile and slice it in half to make the shreds more manageable to eat.

After all the cabbage is shredded, the onion chopped and the carrot shredded (I like to add chopped red peppers when they are in season), mix it all together in a bowl. Crumble the crisp bacon in and mix.

Add the dressing, and mix well. I use about 1/3 cup - we don't want it drowning in dressing. I really don't like those slaws that leave a pool of dressing on the plate.

This was tasty, easy, and frugal. The whole bowl comes in at under a dollar (bacon .75, dressing about .25, garden produce, free), so this is one of our family's favorites.

Caesar Slaw (updated to include the link to my favorite dressing recipe!)

• 1 sm. head green cabbage, shredded
• 1/2 sm. head red cabbage, shredded
• 1/2 large onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, shredded (or 1 red bell pepper, chopped)
• 6 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
• 1/3 c. Caesar salad dressing (this link is my favorite homemade dressing)
  

1. Combine the cabbage, onion, carrot (or pepper), and bacon in a large salad bowl.
2. Pour dressing over all and mix well.
3. Serve immediately.

Makes 8 servings

-Jami