My Caesar Salad Pizza brings together crisp romaine lettuce with tangy Caesar dressing and shaved Parmesan on top of cheesy pepperoni pizza for a bold and satisfying combination.
This Caesar Salad Pizza is one of those unexpected combinations that just works. Years ago, it was my standard order at a little restaurant in Albany, Georgia, called Leslie’s. It was one of those little boutique restaurants frequented mainly by “ladies who lunch” and professional women on a break from work.
This is as close to Leslie’s original recipe as I can come. It’s essentially a warm pepperoni pizza topped with a generous amount of Caesar salad, complete with crisp romaine and shaved Parmesan.
The hot, cheesy pizza plays off the cool crunch of the salad in the very best way. It’s rich and tangy, but still light enough for lunch or a casual dinner. This recipe is an unexpected way to change up pizza night!
If you want to go all out and make pizza dough from scratch, along with some homemade pizza sauce, and your own Caesar dressing, please be my guest. I freely admit to taking shortcuts with purchased pizza dough from my local grocery store’s bakery, a jar of prepared pizza sauce, and a bottle of Caesar dressing. That works for me.
Recipe Snapshot
Cuisine: American
Cooking Method: Oven
Total Time: 35 Minutes
Servings: 4
Primary Ingredient(s): Pizza Dough, Pepperoni, Romaine, Cheese
Skill Level: Easy
What You’ll Like About This Recipe
- Great flavor. It has bold, familiar flavors from the pepperoni and Caesar dressing.
- Hot meets cold. The contrast between the warm pizza and the cool Caesar salad gives this dish a nice balance.
- Quick to make. Using store-bought dough or crust keeps things simple, although you can easily make your own.
- Good for entertaining. Serve it sliced for a fun appetizer.
- Customizable. Make it your own by swapping in grilled chicken, using homemade dressing, or skipping the pepperoni.
Ingredient Notes
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- Pizza Dough – You can use homemade dough, buy a ready-to-use dough from your grocery store bakery, or even a refrigerated, ready-to-roll dough.
- Olive Oil – High quality olive oil is important here. It gives the crust a lot of flavor!
- Pizza Sauce – Make your own, or choose a purchased pizza sauce. My personal favorite is Ragu pizza sauce.
- Grated Parmesan Cheese – We love Parmigiano Reggiano, but the more standard Parmesan works too!
- Shredded Mozzarella Cheese – Buy a block of mozzarella and shred your own for the best melt.
- Pepperoni – I typically choose packaged, sliced pepperoni. But, for a really special treat, buy a stick of pepperoni and slice it thinly yourself.
- Romaine Lettuce – Romaine hearts are best for flavor and texture in this recipe. A premade Caesar salad mix can also be used.
- Caesar Dressing – Use a store-bought Caesar dressing or make your own.
The complete ingredient list with detailed measurements is included in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Caesar Salad Pizza
This unusual pizza recipe is perfect to serve for lunch or a light supper. Using a few pre-made convenience items makes it very fast and easy to prepare.
- Start by preheating the oven to 450°F so it’s good and hot when you’re ready to bake.
- Divide the pizza dough in half if you want to make personal-sized pizzas. If you’re going for one big family-style pizza, just leave it whole.
- Roll or stretch the dough out in a circle (about 6 inches for small pizzas; about 12 inches for one large pizza) and lay it on a well-oiled baking sheet. Brush the top lightly with olive oil and bake for about 5 minutes. Then take it out and set it aside.
- Add the toppings: spoon on some pizza sauce, then sprinkle with grated Parmesan and mozzarella. Add a few slices of pepperoni and brush the crust edges with olive oil.
- Pop the pizza back into the oven and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until the crust turns golden and the cheese is bubbling.
👉 PRO TIP: I like to pre-cook my pizza dough for a few minutes before adding the toppings. I find the pre-cooking prevents an undercooked center of the dough that sometimes happens otherwise.
- While the pizza finishes baking, toss together the Caesar salad. Mix chopped romaine with grated Parmesan and your favorite Caesar dressing. Season with a little salt and pepper.
- Let the pizza cool for a minute or two once it comes out of the oven. Then pile on the Caesar salad while it’s still warm.
- Slice each small pizza into 4 pieces, or cut one large pizza into 8 slices. Serve right away.
Recipe Tips
- Keep the crust light. A thinner crust works best with the volume of toppings here. If you’re using homemade dough, don’t be afraid to really stretch it out.
- Use sturdy lettuce. Romaine holds up well on top of the hot pizza. Softer greens like spring mix will wilt far more quickly.
- Dress the salad lightly. A little Caesar dressing goes a long way. You want the salad coated, not soggy, so the crust stays crisp.
- Add the salad just before serving. Wait to top the pizza when you’re ready to slice and serve it. Remember, the salad will start wilting once it hits the warm pizza.
Recipe Variations and Substitutions
- One of the easiest substitutions to make with this recipe is in the crust. You can easily substitute flatbread, naan, or flour tortillas and skip making and rolling the dough altogether!
- Leave off the pepperoni and add grilled chicken to the Caesar salad for a Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad Pizza.
- Spice it up by adding a sprinkle of red pepper flakes.
- Lighten it up with a low-calorie Caesar dressing.
- Change the creamy Caesar dressing for an oily Italian dressing. Yum!
Storing Leftovers
To be honest, it’s difficult to store leftovers of this pizza. Even though it stays nice and crisp throughout dinner, the salad will wilt and make the pizza soggy after a while. If you anticipate leftovers, keep the salad separate from the pizza. Undressed pizza leftovers keep for 2-3 days, tightly covered, in the refrigerator.
Questions About Caesar Salad Pizza
Yes. Simply omit the pepperoni and check to make sure the Caesar dressing doesn’t contain anchovies.
You can bake the crust ahead and keep it warm or store it for a short time, then toss the salad and dress it just before topping. That keeps the salad crisp and the crust from getting soggy
Have a question or thought to share?
If you have a question about the recipe or if you’ve made it and want to share how it turned out, I would truly enjoy hearing from you. Just scroll down to leave a comment or add your star rating.
Thank you for stopping by. It means a lot to have you here.
Recipe
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Caesar Salad Pizza
Ingredients
- pizza dough for 12-inch pizza (purchased or make your own)
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ½ cup pizza sauce (recommend: Ragu brand)
- ¾ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 ¾ cups grated mozzarella cheese
- 40 slices pepperoni
- 4 cups hearts of romaine lettuce
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ⅓ cup Caesar dressing
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
- Divide the pizza dough in half for individual serving-size pizzas. Don't divide the dough if making a large family size pizza.pizza dough for 12-inch pizza
- Roll or stretch out the dough and place on a well-oiled sheet tray. Brush lightly with olive oil. Cook for approximately 5 minutes. Remove from oven.¼ cup olive oil
- Top with pizza sauce, grated parmesan cheese, mozzarella and pepperoni. Brush the edges with olive oil.½ cup pizza sauce, ¾ cup grated parmesan cheese, 1 ¾ cups grated mozzarella cheese, 40 slices pepperoni
- Return to oven and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes or until crust is browned and cheese is bubbly.
- While the pizza cooks, prepare the Caesar salad topping. Combine romaine, grated parmesan cheese, dressing and salt and pepper to taste.4 cups hearts of romaine lettuce, ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese, ⅓ cup Caesar dressing, salt and pepper to taste
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Top with Caesar salad. Cut single-serving pizzas into 4 slices; large pizza into 8 slices.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- You can easily substitute flatbread, naan, or flour tortillas for the dough.
- You can easily satisfy a crowd with this recipe by simply doubling or tripling it to make as many pizzas as you need.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
This post was originally published on October 26, 2010. It has been updated with new photos and additional information.
I’m Lana Stuart, an award-winning cookbook author, food blogger, and lifelong cook raised deep in Southwest Georgia. I started Lana’s Cooking in 2009 to share the tried-and-true recipes I grew up with. Around here, the food is full of flavor, the traditions run deep, and there’s always room at the table.
Looks great. The shaved parmesean really makes me drool.
Miss P
wow! this sounds amazing! I love pizza.. I love caesar salad, but I never would have thought to combine the two
Ahh this looks awesome!! I have a buffalo chicken pizza on my menu for dinner tomorrow, but this look pretty awesome and now I want to make 2 different pizzas!!
Nobody says you can’t have two pizzas to choose from :-)
Mmmmmm. I used to have this salad-on-a-pizza dish at (shameful head dip) California Pizza Kitchen. But seriously, it was really good. That with *Caesar* salad?! Yum.
You know, I’ve never been to California Pizza Kitchen. I’d probably really like it. Like a bunch.
great pizza dear, and yes to the shortcuts …. somedays life just seems to be in a hurry, thanks to these kind of recipes, I might be able to slow down…
You know, Drick, I’m getting more and more into the shortcuts for week nights and saving the involved cooking for the weekends. Just not enough hours in the day any more.
What a neat idea.
A salad and a pizza all in one bite! Perfect!
My kind of dish!!! We made a caesar pizza earlier this year that was loads more complicated. Can’t wait to try this one! Thanks :-) Kate@ kateiscooking
What a great idea! My bf will love this!
Whoa, Lana. Did you make this just for me? Given my proclivities — I consider Caesar salad the most wonderful dish ever created by mankind and I always make pizza from scratch — you couldn’t have given me a better gift than this recipe. Must make soonest! Wish I didn’t already have dinner on the stove and in the oven right now! Thanks so much for sharing!
Barbara – So glad I could provide a recipe that is exciting enough that you’d want to make it right away! Do let me know how you like it.
excellent recipe! :D