Fried Ravioli and Caesar Salad with added Outback Steakhouse Croutons

Got a little behind. Since my last post I have actually made 2 new meals that are all super easy and super good. I am even happy to say they are kid friendly. The first was Fried Ravioli and Caesar Salad. The other was Cowboy Spaghetti. These meals were quick and took not too much effort to create.

Last Sunday I had the Aunt and Uncle over for dinner. Made them Fried Ravioli and Caesar Salad. This recipe is created to take replace the croutons with fried ravioli.... But being the crouton lover that I am I made homemade croutons that tasted just like Outback's croutons and still used the Ravioli. I will also post the steps for making the croutons as well.

Caesar Salad With Fried Ravioli

Ingredients

• 1 pound large ravioli, fresh or frozen (For a heartier meal find Ravioli with meat or mushrooms stuffed inside)
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano for coating ravioli, plus a handful for salad dressing
• Salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), divided
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon anchovy paste (Found at Fry's by the Tuna- Do Not Omit!!!)
• A few shots of hot sauce, such as Tabasco
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (eyeball it)
• 3 hearts of romaine, chopped (Or Bag too)

Preparation

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for ravioli. Salt water and cook a minute less than package directions for either fresh or frozen pasta, then drain thoroughly.

Heat about 3 tablespoons EVOO in a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat. Combine cornmeal, 1/2 cup of Parmigiano Reggiano and lots of black pepper on a plate. Coat the drained ravioli in the cornmeal and cheese mixture. Shake off excess and fry the ravioli until golden on each side, 4-5 minutes total. Remove them to a paper-towel lined plate and season with some salt.

For the salad, whisk together the lemon zest and juice, grated garlic, mustard, anchovy paste, hot sauce and Worcestershire then stream in the EVOO, about 5 tablespoons. Coat the romaine in dressing then season with pepper and a handful of grated cheese. Top salad with crispy ravioli and serve.

Thoughts...
When I was frying the Ravioli it got a bit smokey in the house. Be sure to watch out for too high of heat and make sure you put your fan or open a door when cooking. I followed the recipe down to the last word and it came out great. Aunt Leslie and Uncle Johnny enjoyed this on3. Even had seconds.

I was a bit concerned when making the Ravioli because I was concerned it would be too dry but in the salad it was fine and biting into the cheesiness was heaven. MMMmmmm. For added measure I also had some jarred marinara sauce for dipping. That was good too. Vince and Uncle Johnny even added some of the sauce onto the salad and that looked good too. A great summer meal that takes little effort.

As for the croutons.... Very addicting.
Outback Steakhouse Crouton Recipe
Ingredients

• 2 full loafs of bread (remember: just get the cheap stuff)
• 1 lb of real butter (no margarine on this one, sorry)
• 2 ½ Tbsp Cajun seasoning bled
• ½ Cup finely chopped garlic (yes, that’s really the amount) Get the jarred Garlic it makes for easy prep!!

Instructions

1. Pre-heat your oven to 350°
2. Cube the bread into about 1 inch square pieces
3. Cut the butter into smaller chunks and place in the microwave for 10 seconds. Stir and return to the microwave for another 5 seconds.  It should have the consistency of mayonnaise.
4. Mix the Cajun seasoning and chopped garlic into the butter blend and let sit while you toast the croutons the first time.
5. Spread the cubes of bread onto a cookie sheet and put into the oven for 10 minutes and then remove and let cool completely before moving on to the next step.
6. Gently mix the cool croutons into the butter mix until completely coated.
7. Place the croutons back onto the cookie sheet and bake for an additional 10 minutes at 350°.
8. Check for desired crunchiness and, if needed, toss and return to the oven for an additional 5-10 minutes.
9. Let cool and add to your favorite salad recipe.

Making the croutons did take a bit because you have to keep an eye to get them to the right crunchiness. Some of the bread pieces were either coated more than others or were bigger than others so took longer to cook that others. So as the crunched up I took them out and put them on a plate to cool gradually. Definitely make these when you are having a super salad night. You can't go wrong.