Recipe: Caesar Power Salad

First thought: Make Caesar salad with lefover romaine lettuce and the fabulous Cardini's dressing; add some rotisserie chicken for super-fast dinner. (Side note: If you have never tried Cardini's Caesar, you must. The company's namesake created the salad, after all.)

Second thought: Be more adventurous. Scour the internet for Caesar variations.

Results of brainstorming: A filling dinner Caesar that was a bit more funky (in a good way) than normal. Red pepper added more color and veggilicious flavor than the normal light green-cream variety. Super salty pancetta contributed a flavorful Italian flair. Almonds made for crunch in place of croutons. Cannellini beans varied the texture and added some fiber. Parmesan, romaine, and Caesar dressing kept it classic.

Power Caesar Salad

Romaine lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces
Red bell pepper, chopped into large pieces
Canned cannellini beans
Pancetta (or proscuitto), cut in bite-sized pieces
Sliced almonds
Parmesan cheese
Cardini's Caesar dressing

Toss all ingredients together in a large salad bowl. Be careful not to overdo the dressing; it just needs enough for a light coating with all the flavorful toppings.