Description
Caesar Salad Wonton Cups — crispy baked wonton shells filled with tangy Caesar-dressed romaine and Parmesan, perfect for party appetizers and easy entertaining. Makes 24 cups in 30 minutes with 13 simple ingredients.
Ingredients
Scale
- 24 wonton wrappers
- 15 ml (1 tbsp) extra-virgin olive oil
- 200 g (about 4 cups, loosely packed) romaine lettuce, thinly sliced
- 60 g (½ cup) Parmesan Reggiano, finely grated
- 120 g (½ cup) plain mayonnaise
- 6 g (1 tsp) anchovy paste
- 15 ml (1 tbsp) fresh lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 5 ml (1 tsp) Dijon mustard
- 5 ml (1 tsp) Worcestershire sauce (optional)
- Black pepper, to taste
- 50 g (1 cup) crouton pieces for garnish
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F) and lightly brush muffin tin cups with olive oil.
- Press a wonton wrapper into each muffin cup to form a shell.
- Bake the cups for 6–8 minutes until light golden brown, rotating halfway through.
- Whisk together mayonnaise, anchovy paste, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, and Worcestershire sauce in a bowl.
- Toss the sliced romaine with grated Parmesan and just enough dressing until coated.
- Divide the dressed lettuce among the cups, adding crouton pieces and dusting with Parmesan before serving.
Notes
- Fridge (assembled): Place fully assembled cups in a single layer inside an airtight container lined with a paper towel. They stay acceptable for up to 1 day, though the shells soften noticeably after 8 hours. For best texture, consume within 4 hours of assembly. The paper towel absorbs excess moisture from the dressing and romaine.
- Freezer (shells only): Store baked, unfilled wonton shells in a rigid freezer container separated by parchment layers for up to 2 months. Freeze the dressing separately in ice cube trays, then transfer cubes to a zip-top bag. Never freeze assembled cups—the romaine turns limp. Following food storage guidelines, label all containers with the freeze date.
- Oven Reheat: Spread unfilled shells on a baking sheet in a single layer and warm at 165 °C (325 °F) for 4–5 minutes until they feel crisp again. Do not reheat filled cups in the oven—the lettuce wilts and the dressing separates. Let shells cool for 2 minutes on a wire rack before filling to prevent steam from softening them.
- Microwave Reheat: Microwaving is not recommended for either the shells or assembled cups. The microwave creates steam that makes wonton wrappers rubbery within 15 seconds. If you must use a microwave, heat only the dressing in a small bowl for 10 seconds to take off the refrigerator chill before spooning it onto fresh lettuce in a crisp shell.
- Air Fryer Reheat: Place unfilled shells in a single layer in the air fryer basket and heat at 160 °C (320 °F) for 2 minutes. The circulating hot air re-crisps the wonton wrappers beautifully without drying them out. Shake the basket gently halfway through. This method works for both refrigerated and frozen shells—frozen ones need an extra 1 minute.
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 10
- Category: Recipes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 wonton
- Calories: 112 calories
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 245mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 10g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 8mg