Perfect Panzanellas
I have recently discovered the deliciousness of a perfect panzanella salad. I guess you can still call it a salad. I like to think of the bread, like giant, fresh, crunchy, yet soft croutons.
What started this new obsession? Well it all began with a trip to Costco on a Sunday when the store was filled with delicious samples. Mr. Teacher and I were meandering through the isles, we when found ourselves near the bakery. The smell of fresh bread wafted through the air, and a sweet lady suddenly appeared with warm, fresh, chive and potato focaccia bread slathered with creamy butter. We took one bite, fell in love, and bought 2 loaves.
We quickly devoured the majority of the bread with just butter, but I wanted to do something more with it. I wanted to make it more than just a snack. So I began thinking about ways I could use the bread.
I had some pesto I had made from the plethora of basil that grew this summer. I had some veggies. I decided I would put it all together and my easy recipe for Warm Pesto Panzanella with Roasted Vegetables was born. We ate the majority of it that night with grilled pork chops and the little that was left made a tasty lunch for Mr. Teacher.
I needed a lunch for us the following day and since the first panzanella I had made turned out so well, I decided to try my hand at another version. This time I used my Italian dressing mix from Penzeys, used fresh colorful vegetables, olives and cheese with some spicy pepperoni for Mr. Teacher. Voila! Pepperoni Panzenalla.
I hope you enjoy these perfect panzanellas too.
Don’t forget you can follow my nearly daily posts on Instagram and Facebook.
Don’t forget to like, comment, and share!