Welcome to Plus One, a column by Food Editor Emily Ziemski where those small-but-mighty additions that instantly upgrade whatever’s on the table—ingredients, sauces, toppings—are the star of the show. Today, skipping the Thanksgiving stuffing in favor of a summertime side star.
I first learned of panzanella years ago, and immediately thought: “Hell yeah, someone did the right thing and made the bread to vegetable ratio correct.” Then, I started seeing it mostly in a summertime format, and felt less enthused. To me, a bread salad, a phrase encompassing what I believe to be a triumphant bounty of carbs, feels more at home as a cozy, filling dish—something to warm you up and satisfy—a concept I’m not chasing after when it’s 90 degrees and I’m (really) sweating.
On the other hand, a lot of Thanksgiving stuffings miss the mark for me. (Do I just have comically strong opinions about composed bread dishes? Possibly.) Sometimes they’re gloopy, or not flavorful enough, or—at worst—inedible once the bolstering heat of the oven has sheepishly seeped from the glass casserole dish. It’s *always* a glass casserole dish. Anyway. On my quest to quiet my misguided discomfort with bread dishes, I mashed together my favorite elements from both: the hearty, fall flavors of stuffing with the bread salady-ness of it all. Thus was born a travel-proof side perfect for traditional family Thanksgivings and casual Friendsgivings alike.
Note: I do say that the prosciutto is optional here, which would make the dish vegan, and I do love to have those options available, but prosciutto is really the uh, plus one here. The salty, fatty cured meat plays well with the vegetal Brussels and the crisp sweetness of the apple. —Emily Ziemski
See what other Food52ers are saying.