Caesar Salad with Homemade Croutons

This is probably one of the first recipes I ever made.  It was featured in a cooking light magazine back in the late 90's when I was still in high school!  For some reason, I haven't been able to find the recipe online but I have made it so many times that I have it recipe memorized. 

If you're in the mood for a creamier dressing, you can simply cut back on the amount of water you add.  To make this a complete meal,  you can can add some grilled chicken.  I actually like this dressing so much that sometimes I add other veggies like peppers, cucumber, etc and just have a salad with caesar dressing on it. 

Caesar Salad

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup low-fat mayonanaise
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon dry mustard
2 garlic cloves, minced

Croutons, recipe follows

Combine all ingredients together in a small bowl and stir until well mixed. 

Pour over  romaine lettuce, croutons, and any other desired salad ingredients.

Homemade Croutons

2 cups (3/4-inch) french bread bread cubes

Desired spices for toppings (any combination of salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, etc)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.  Spread bread cubes in a single layer on baking sheet; lightly sprinkle desired spices on top of bread and spray bread with a small amount of cooking spray.  Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.