This go-to meal, ready in less than 20 minutes, has all the elements of a classic chicken Caesar salad—but instead of tossing them together, we celebrate each on its own. We believe this is the only Caesar dressing you'll ever need. We stir in a little grated Parmesan and use it as a dip, too. Roasting romaine hearts intensifies their flavor: you get a slight pleasantly bitter note and a not-so-slight sweetness from the caramelization process. (We love the charred edges!) Small crunchy toasts make a heartier stand-in for croutons, and we cook the chicken breasts, tossed with a touch of mustard and thyme, until they just hit 160°F to ensure they are moist and tender.

　　

Ingredients

4 servings

　　

Caesar Dressing:

1/4 cup canola mayonnaise

　　2 oil-packed anchovy fillets, drained, mashed to a paste with a fork

　　1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

　　1 small garlic clove, minced

　　2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

　　1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

　　1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

　　1/4 cup olive oil

　　

For the salad:

2 romaine hearts, halved lengthwise

　　2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

　　1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

　　1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

　　1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

　　1 demi-baguette (about 12 inches), cut across into 12 slices

　　1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

　　

Step 1

Position one oven rack 4 to 5 inches below the heat source (leave the other rack in the center of the oven) and preheat the broiler. Coat a sheet pan with cooking spray.

　　

Step 2

Make the Caesar dressing: Combine the mayonnaise, anchovy paste, lemon juice, garlic, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and pepper in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in the oil.

　　

Step 3

Brush the cut sides of the romaine hearts with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Place them, cut side up, on the sheet pan. Broil the romaine hearts until they are slightly wilted and lightly browned, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a platter.

　　

Step 4

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

　　

Step 5

Toss the chicken with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, the mustard, and thyme. Place the breasts and the bread slices on the sheet pan and roast in the center of the oven until an instant-read thermometer inserted horizontally into the center of the chicken registers 160°F and the bread is toasted, 8 to 9 minutes.

　　

Step 6

Transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Let it rest 5 minutes before cutting it across into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Place the chicken and toasts on the platter with the romaine; drizzle with the dressing and sprinkle with the Parmesan.

　　From Hero Dinners: Complete One-Pan Meals That Save the Day © 2019 by Marge Perry and David Bonom. Reprinted by permission of William Morrow Cookbooks, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.Buy the full book from HarperCollins or from Amazon.