Name: Creamy Italiano Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: ½ cup mayonnaise; 3 Tbsp milk; 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar; 1 Tbsp sugar; 2 tsp Italian seasoning; 1 tsp garlic powder; salt and pepper (to taste); 1 (9-oz) bag chopped romaine lettuce; 1 cup sliced seedless cucumbers; 1 cup purchased croutons; ½ cup banana pepper rings; ½ cup grape or cherry tomatoes (halved); ¼ cup shaved parmesan cheese

Creamy Italiano Salad – our favorite salad!!! Romaine, tomatoes, thinly sliced seedless cucumbers, sliced banana peppers, croutons, parmesan cheese, and homemade Creamy Italian dressing. The dressing really puts this salad over the top!!! Mayonnaise, red wine vinegar, milk, sugar, Italian seasoning, garlic, salt, and pepper. I made this for a dinner party and everyone RAVED about it!! A million times better than Olive Garden’s salad!

Remember this recipe

Pin this recipe to your favorite board now to remember it later!

Pin This Recipe

Salad with Creamy Italian Dressing

We are obsessed with this yummy Creamy Italiano Salad. It is seriously delicious. The salad is good, but it is the tangy homemade dressing that really puts this salad over the top! I made this for a dinner party and everyone LOVED it! Everyone asked for the dressing recipe. I am not even kidding! The dressing is seriously the best. It is a little tangy with tons of great flavor. I could drink it with a straw.

How to Make Homemade Creamy Italian Dressing

The salad is super easy to make. Start with making the dressing. Whisk together mayonnaise, milk, red wine vinegar, sugar, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Next toss together the salad – romaine, tomatoes, thinly sliced seedless cucumbers, sliced banana peppers, shaved parmesan cheese, and croutons. Toss the salad with the dressing and serve.

I know some people don’t like cucumbers, so they are totally optional.
Can substitute grated parmesan for shaved parmesan.
Can add bell peppers, onions, or olives to the salad mixture.
For the croutons, I like to use the Olive Garden croutons that are in the grocery store.
You can make the creamy Italian dressing ahead of time and refrigerate it until you are ready to toss the salad. I usually make the dressing a day or two in advance of serving.
You can assemble the salad mixture in advance and refrigerate until ready to serve. Toss it with the dressing just before serving so the lettuce isn’t soggy.
If you aren’t making this for a crowd, just make as much salad as you want and toss it with a little dressing. YUM!
The dressing will keep a week in the refrigerator.

Better than Olive Garden Salad

This Creamy Italiano Salad is the perfect accompaniment to our traditional Christmas Eve lasagna. This salad, my homemade lasagna, and some garlic bread is my all-time favorite meal! Give it a try the next time you have a salad. I promise it will be a hit!

Here are a few of our favorite recipes from the blog that go great with this salad:

Pasta

Three Cheese Chicken Rosa Pasta Bake

Three Cheese Chicken Rosa Bake – great make-ahead pasta dish. Penne pasta, four cheese rosa sauce, sour cream, ricotta, garlic,…

Casserole

Million Dollar Chicken Alfredo

Million Dollar Chicken Alfredo – seriously delicious! Chicken, pasta, alfredo sauce and 4 cheeses! The BEST chicken alfredo EVER!!! Can…

Pasta

One-Pot Spaghetti {No Boil}

One-Pot Spaghetti Bolognese – I finally found my go-to spaghetti recipe! SO easy to make and is ready in 20…

Pasta

Baked Cream Cheese Spaghetti Casserole

Baked Cream Cheese Spaghetti Casserole – everyone goes crazy over this dish – they always ask for the recipe! Make…