It’s been a classic for a minute, but in my book, Caesar salad has now achieved icon status. We love riffing off of this staple salad (looking at you, fried chicken Caesar sandwich); there are so many ways to get creative with the combination of crisp romaine lettuce tossed in a creamy dressing with notes of Parmesan cheese, funky anchovy, lemon, and black pepper. To take this staple into the appetizer realm, I decided to create a creamy Caesar-inspired dip filled with roasted shallots and garlic. Watch out, spinach-artichoke dip—this appetizer is coming for your crown.
This dip starts off with a base of cream cheese and mayo. The addition of Parmigiano, Dijon mustard, freshly ground black pepper, and a wee bit of anchovy brings the Caesar notes fully forward. I love to serve this dip with toasted crostini or pieces of romaine lettuce to simulate salad vibes, but there’s no shame in however you choose to dip.
Good news! You can break up the time it takes to make this dip and roast the shallots and garlic up to 3 days ahead, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The dip (without the mozzarella) can be made at most 3 days ahead. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate, then when ready to serve, add the mozzarella to the dip and bake until golden brown and bubbly.
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