A Caesar salad for the chillier months of the year

No matter how delicious a Caesar salad is, chilly temperatures tend to be a turnoff for all things leafy green.

Which is why I decided to tinker with the basics of this classic salad, to see whether I could make a winter-friendly version that was true to its tangy, cheesy roots, but also hardy enough to be desirable on a snowy night.

I kept the classic Romaine base, but bulked it up with roasted cubes of butternut squash. Warm and substantial, butternut is the perfect base for a robust Caesar dressing. Add to that some freshly made croutons (the oven is already on for the squash, so why not?) and it's a perfect vegetarian dinner.

Want to make it more substantial? No need to dirty a pan. Slice some boneless, skinless chicken breasts into thin strips, season with salt, pepper and garlic powder, toss them on the baking sheet with the croutons and squash for the last 20 minutes of baking, then cut them into chunks and toss with the salad.

BUTTERNUT CAESAR SALAD

Start to finish: 40 minutes

Servings: 4

For the squash:

20-ounces peeled and cubed butternut squash

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and ground black pepper

For the croutons:

10 ounces rustic bread, cut into croutons (about 4 cups)

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and ground black pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

For the dressing:

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic

4 anchovy fillets

Juice of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 cup grated Parmesan, divided

2 heads Romaine lettuce, chopped

Heat the oven to 400F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.