Hoda Kotb Says This 3-Ingredient Dish Is the 'Perfect Meal'

What makes a meal perfect? It’s delicious? Easy to make? Has few ingredients? Well, Hoda Kotb’s “perfect meal” is all that—plus, it’s a fan favorite.

While many of us were celebrating America’s birthday on July 4, the “Today with Hoda and Jenna” hosts also celebrated another special anniversary: the 100th trip around the sun for the humble Caesar salad. In Tijuana, Mexico, 100 years ago, Italian chef Caesar Cardini invented the simple salad of romaine, croutons, and cheesy, creamy Caesar dressing. Today, the Caesar salad is as popular as ever, and the dish paired with fries and a dry martini has been deemed the “perfect meal”—even by Kotb herself.

Hoda Kotb's Perfect Caesar Salad

During the fourth hour of “Today,” Kotb and her co-host Jenna Bush Hager were each given a platter with a salad, fries, and martini, and Kotb dug straight into the dressed leaves.

“This, by the way, is the perfect meal,” she said.

“Can we also just thank Caesar for inventing the Caesar salad? Because...when I was little, the Caesar salad introduced me to lettuce,” Hager said. “The Caesar salad is really just lettuce covered with delicious cream, cheese, and bread.”

“You’re so right,” Kotb agreed. But she takes Hager’s order of a Caesar salad with extra dressing one step further.

“My favorite way to have a Caesar is you get the romaine lettuce; you slice it in half; you drizzle it with olive oil, salt, and pepper; put it on the grill—grill it, grill it, grill it, flip it, grill it, take it off. Put the Caesar dressing on it and some croutons. There’s nothing better,” she said. 

“You do that? How many times have you done that,” Hager asked.

“Once,” Kotb said with a laugh. “It was really good.”

It might sound like a weird technique, but it’s one we’ve stood behind for years. Grilling the romaine lettuce adds flavor and texture to the otherwise boring vegetable.

When you lightly char your romaine, it begins to caramelize on the grill and brings out a new, sweet, smoky flavor in the lettuce. One of our Allrecipes Allstars has been using the method for years, and she recommends searing the lettuce at medium-high heat to char the leaves while keeping the center cool and crisp.

Even though Kotb says she’s only tried the method once—and it was delicious—it’s incredibly simple to try any time you’re craving a Caesar. Instead of taking the time to chop up your romaine, use those few minutes to throw the heads on the grill. You’ll absolutely thank Kotb for the idea.