Panzanella Tuscan Salad

Who says you can’t create your own sunshine?  The skies are gray here, but I can definitely bring some cheer into our life by brightening up our dining room with a fun color tablecloth and a delicious Tuscan salad. Panzanella Tuscan salad is a rustic meal traditionally eaten in Italy with stale bread, fresh tomatoes, basil and other fresh ingredients. We’re meat eating kind of people so we added bacon to ours and I bet it would also taste good with sausage!

It’s simple and delicious–perfect to whip up for your next game time party or gathering.

Panzanella Tuscan Salad

Ingredients:

• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 Wheat or normal French bread (stale and toasted bread) cut into cubes
• 2 cups of cherry tomatoes halved and salted
• 5 slices of Farmland® bacon cut into pieces

Your favorite fresh veggies:

• 1 cucumber sliced
• Green, red, yellow red bell pepper diced
• 1/2 red onion diced
• 1/4 cup carrots chopped
• handful of basil chopped
• 1/2 cup Gouda cubed
• salt and pepper to taste

Vinaigrette

• 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 4 tablespoons Olive oil
• 1 tablespoon garlic paste or 3 garlic cloves crushed

1. Heat the oil in a large pan.

2. Add the stale and toasted bread and salt; cook over low to medium heat.

3. Tossing frequently until nicely browned. You may need to add more oil.

4. Then in a large bowl mix in bread, cheese, bacon and all the vegetables.

5. Mix the vinaigrette ingredients in a small bowl and then pour over bread and veggies. Add salt and pepper as needed.

Farmland® bacon here’s some information that will entice you to look into it if you have’t bought it:

• Farmland® bacon is slow smoked over real hardwoods for maximum flavor. For decades, Farmland® has taken pride in perfecting their curing and smoking technique –a difference you’ll taste in every delicious bite.
• New Farmland® Homestyle Sausage is gluten free with no MSG; full of the delicious all natural flavor you crave to start your day. Discover all our breakfast sausages.

This is a compensated collaboration with Farmland® and Latina Bloggers Connect. However, all opinions expressed are my own.