Tuscan Tomato Panzanella

Leftovers for lunch today, of course, seeing my royal status with respect to old food.  This example in fact combines another aspect I'm famous for trying--freezing! I will freeze--or at least try to freeze--almost anything.  I figure if it's going to go to waste by not being eaten right now, I may as well freeze it and eat it later.  If it gets ruined or gross in el deepo freezeo, well, it's no big loss since I was going to throw it out anyway.

Take for example this Tomato Panzanella.  Unlike the more traditional salad version, this is baked like a casserole or Thanksgiving dressing, making it somehow more satisfying and hearty than the cold version.  It combines day-old stale bread cubes with white beans, tomatoes, mushrooms, peppers and onions, with a little basil and balsamic vinegar thrown in for flavor and topped off with mozzarella cheese. And it makes a TON--at least 6-8 servings.  It's really easy and really good (though not really photogenic, at least not in its defrosted and rewarmed form).  Try the recipe after the jump.

And in the background of that lovely camera phone image is the registration form for one of my MANY new kitchen toys and gadgets bestowed upon me my my kind, generous, and thoroughly awesome friends and family at my bridal shower this past weekend.  Lucky, I am. 


 This comes from one of my mom's First magazines, and has been modified a bit.  The original recipe called for chicken thighs, but I substituted a can of white beans to go veg.  I also added garlic in with the sauteeing vegetables and a bit of tomato paste to deepen the tomato flavor.  I only had whole tomatoes, so I just chopped them in the can a bit before adding them and their juice.  And I used shredded mozzarella.  Really, this recipe is so easy it could be changed a great deal for different cuisines.


Tomato-White Bean Panzanella

6	cups cubed French bread
2	tbsp. olive oil, divided
1	onion, peeled and chopped
1-2	red bell peppers, seeded and chopped
8	oz mushrooms, quartered
1	can white beans, drained and rinsed
1/2	tsp. dried Italian herbs--or basil, oregano, whatever you want
1	(28 oz can) crushed plum tomatoes in puree, or whole tomatoes roughly chopped in the can
1	Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
4	oz part-skim mozzarella cheese, sliced or shredded
2	plum tomatoes, sliced

Heat oven to 400°F.

In a bowl, gently toss bread cubes with 1 tbsp. oil. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange bread in a single layer on a baking sheet; Bake 10 minutes.

Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray. Transfer bread to casserole dish. In large skillet, over medium-high heat, cook remaining oil, add onions, peppers, and mushrooms, cook 5 minutes. Add cubed chicken, cook for 5 minutes.

Stir in Italian herbs, crushed tomatoes and vinegar. Increase heat to high. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium, let simmer 5 minutes. Spread chicken mix over bread.

Top with mozzarella and sliced tomatoes. Bake 15 minutes or until heated through.