Thanksgiving Panzanella Recipes

PANZANELLA

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large saute pan. Add the bread and salt; cook over low to medium heat, tossing frequently, for 10 minutes, or until nicely browned. Add more oil as needed.
• For the vinaigrette, whisk all the ingredients together.
• In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, yellow pepper, red onion, basil, and capers. Add the bread cubes and toss with the vinaigrette. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Serve, or allow the salad to sit for about half an hour for the flavors to blend.

WINTER PANZANELLA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet over moderate heat and cook until it foams. Add the garlic and thyme, and immediately add the bread cubes. Toss to coat well. Add most of the grated cheese and stir. Transfer bread to a baking sheet and sprinkle with the remaining cheese and salt and pepper and gently toss again while still warm to melt the cheese. Bake stirring once or twice, until the croutons are crisp and lightly colored on the outside but still soft within, about 10 to 15 minutes. Set aside and let cool.
• Soak the sliced onion in the sherry vinegar and a pinch of salt for about 15 minutes. Set aside.
• Toss the squash with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the olive oil, sage, salt, and pepper. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake until the squash is tender and lightly caramelized, about 15 to minutes. Let cool.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the quartered Brussels sprouts and cook until tender but retain a touch of crispness, about 1 1/2 minutes, and drain.
• Into the reserved red onions and vinegar, whisk in remaining 1/2 cup olive oil. Season with pepper.
• In a large bowl combine the roasted squash, croutons, and Brussels sprouts. Add the vinaigrette and toss. Add the parsley leaves and toss again. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Garnish with grated Parmesan and serve immediately.
• Chef note: "Soaking the onion briefly in sherry vinegar--sometimes called blooming the onion--mellows the raw onion taste."

STUFFING PANZANELLA WITH CRANBERRY VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Start the stuffing croutons: Using olive oil, grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan, then line it with parchment paper, covering the bottom and 2 long sides with one sheet, creasing into the corners to ensure a snug fit. If the stuffing is cold, warm in the microwave for 1 minute, or covered in 350-degree oven for 15 minutes.
• Put the stuffing into the prepared loaf pan and press into a 1-inch layer using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Fold the parchment over, covering the top of the stuffing, and press firmly with your hands, tightly compacting the stuffing. If you have a second loaf pan of the same size, use that to pack down the stuffing and set something heavy on top - like a couple cans of beans - to weigh it down. Chill overnight.
• Prepare the cranberry vinaigrette: In a medium nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium heat, cook the pepitas in the 2 tablespoons olive oil, stirring frequently, until the seeds puff and lightly toast, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the cranberry sauce, mustard, vinegar and a big pinch of kosher salt. Scrape in the pepitas and oil, and whisk to combine. Season the vinaigrette to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Cook the stuffing croutons: To the same skillet, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and heat over medium-high. (The stuffing needs to be cooked hot and fast or it will stick and fall apart.) While the pan heats up, lift the stuffing out of the loaf pan and onto a cutting board. Cut the chilled stuffing into 1-inch cubes.
• Add the stuffing cubes to the hot skillet and cook until crisp and golden brown underneath, 1 to 2 minutes. Using a spatula or 2 spoons, flip the cubes, which will have sucked up all the oil, then drizzle them with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Cook on the second side until browned, 1 to 2 minutes. (No need to fry on more than two sides; the croutons are delicate and could fall apart.) Remove pan from heat.
• Add the shaved vegetables and pear to the large bowl with the vinaigrette and toss to coat. Add the tender greens and gently toss to combine. Divide the salad across plates, top with stuffing cubes and serve right away.

PANZANELLA OF PLENTY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Combine all dressing ingredients, whisking well, and set aside.
• Toss brussels sprout halves, butternut squash cubes, and beet cubes with 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and black pepper. Spread veggies in a single layer on a baking sheet or two. Sprinkle with chopped thyme and bake for 25 minutes, stirring once. Remove and place into a large salad bowl for later mixing.
• Toss cubed bread with remaining 1/2 cup olive oil. Spread out on a sheet pan and toast for no longer than 10 minutes. They should be crispy on the outside, but still slightly soft inside. Set aside to cool.
• In the salad bowl with the roasted vegetables, add the cranberries, chestnuts and leafy greens. Add the croutons and mix all ingredients evenly. Pour the dressing over the salad, tossing again, and let it all marinate for about 10 minutes. Add any optional toppings and serve at room temperature.

PANZANELLA WITH MOZZARELLA AND HERBS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Spread the bread cubes on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with 2 tablespoons oil and a pinch of salt. Bake until they are dried out and pale golden brown at the edges, about 7 to 15 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.
• Cut tomatoes into bite-size pieces and transfer to a large bowl. Add mozzarella, onions, garlic paste, 1 tablespoon vinegar, oregano or thyme, 1/4 teaspoon salt and the red pepper flakes if using. Toss to coat and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, combine remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar, the mustard, 1/4 teaspoon salt and some black pepper to taste. While whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in the remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil until the mixture is thickened. Stir in cucumbers, basil and parsley.
• Add bread cubes, cucumber mixture and capers to the tomatoes and toss well. Let sit for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours before serving. Toss with a little more olive oil, vinegar and salt if needed just before serving.

THANKSGIVING PANZANELLA

Steps:

• Melt butter over medium heat in a cast iron skillet. Add onions and cook over low-medium heat, about 30 minutes, or until the onions go nearly perfectly transparent. Do not get color on the onions. Remove from pan and save.
• Add 1-2 T of the butter from the onions to the skillet and cook the apples over medium heat until they have taken on a light golden color and have become fork-tender. Remove and add to the onions.
• Cook the sausage over medium until browned, using the back of a wood spoon to break the sausage up as it cooks. Remove cooked sausage and any fat which rendered out and add to the onions/apples.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the french loaf and whole grain cubed breads. Using your hands, loosely crumble the moist cornbread and mix all three to incorporate.
• Add the onions, apples, sausage, butter, and reserved fat. Mix bowl contents to evenly moisten all components.
• Season with fresh thyme, sage leaf powder, grey sea salt, fresh black pepper, olive oil, and mix. If the panzanella is still too dry, slowly incorporate up to 1 C of good chicken stock. This will vary greatly depending on how dried the bread cubes are. Work a little at a time!
• Finally, mix in toasted, lightly crushed pecan halves, and garnish top with brown-butter fried sage leaves.
• Serve warm (or cold the next day; who doesn't love Thanksgiving leftovers?!) and enjoy!

WINTER PANZANELLA WITH STUFFING CROUTONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Toast stuffing on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet until crisp and brown, 25-35 minutes.
• Meanwhile, toast pecans on another rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until slightly darker and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Let cool; coarsely chop.
• Whisk grapefruit juice, vinegar, and honey in a large bowl. Add endive, radicchio, apple, beet, and pecans, season with salt, and toss to combine. Drizzle salad with oil and add stuffing croutons; toss again to combine.