Stuffing and dressing are so overrated! Avoid a soggy bland disaster this Thanksgiving and go for this Harvest Panzanella Salad instead!
Don’t @ me, but stuffing/dressing is probably my least favorite Thanksgiving side. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll still add a spoonful to my plate, but I’ll definitely be giving the other dishes more attention. Even the cranberry sauce. How about, instead of making the same ole’ flavorless and soggy recipe, you opt for this fresh and crunchy Harvest Panzanella Salad instead?
It still falls in the same category of “lots of bread with other things thrown in”, but instead of being cooked into submission with a ton of liquid, the bread is toasted into crisp and garlicky croutons and tossed with the finest seasonal ingredients. Plus, Panzanella is technically a salad, and I don’t know about you, but a salad that has a pretty high carb to greens ratio is a win in my book. This would serve 4 people as an entree or about 6-8 as a Thanksgiving side. My husband and I devoured this when I made it for the photos. I was actually surprised how much he raved about it, but he couldn’t stop making yummy noises! That’s the sign of a good recipe in my book.
What’s your favorite Thanksgiving dish?! I’ll be making both my Pumpkin Pecan Cheesecake Bars and my Buttermilk Brined Cornish Hens!
Try out my Hearty Summer Panzanella!
- 1 small loaf of Ciabatta bread
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Dressing:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1 clove garlic minced
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1 delicata squash, halved, de-seeded and thinly sliced
- 4 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
- ⅓ cup pomegranate arils
- 1 Honeycrisp apple, diced
- 3 cups roughly chopped Tuscan kale
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 8 ounces Burrata cheese, torn into pieces
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Cut bread into 1" pieces. Add to a baking sheet and toss with the olive oil and garlic powder. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
- Toss the delicata squash with a bit of olive oil. Place the sliced squash on a baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Roast alongside the bread until tender, 15-20 minutes as well.
- Meanwhile, prep the dressing by adding all the dressing ingredients to a bowl. Whisk well and set aside.
- Prepare the remaining ingredients.
- Allow the croutons to cool for about 5 minutes, then toss them with the rest of the salad ingredients. Give the dressing another whisk and add it to the salad. Toss well.
- Let the salad sit for 30 minutes prior to serving to allow the dressing to absorb into the croutons. Serve at room temp.
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