Think of Panzanella & Prosciutto Salad as the perfect mash up salad for brunch or dare I say, for breakfast?!?! Similar to a classic Panzanella, this salad is a combination of seasoned and toasted gluten free bread, fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, Buffalo mozzarella and basil. Then cups of prosciutto are filled with cheesy eggs, baked to puffy perfection and nestled into the salad. Drizzle with extra olive oil, aged balsamic and/or freshly squeezed lemon juice. So many layers of fresh, simple flavors come together for a rich, complex and filling dish.
About the Bread
Gluten free bread is naturally suited to shine in this recipe. Don’t get me wrong, it certainly has its drawbacks too, but that isn’t the case here. Panzanella requires a dry or stale bread to absorb the oil, vinegar and natural vegetable juices that season the salad. A soft wheat bread would just turn to mush, whereas a seasoned and toasted gluten free bread will act like a sponge and hold all of that flavor while retaining some structure. Oh! And sure! You can still use wheat bread in this recipe if you don’t need to eat gluten free, like I do. Just make sure the bread is on the dry side.
Season the Bread
Cut the bread of your choice into cubes. Drizzle with olive oil and stir to coat all of the cubes as evenly as possible. Season with garlic powder, Italian Seasoning, salt and pepper. Line and grease a foil lined baking sheet then spread the seasoned cubes of bread out in an even layer. Bake for 8-10 minutes, then remove from the oven and set aside to cool to room temp.
Prosciutto Egg Cups
Use two full slices of prosciutto to line each of 8 muffin cups.
Just like making scrambled eggs, combine the eggs, milk and cheese in a mixing bowl. Beat the eggs until the yolks are all broken and the mixture is combined well. Season with pepper, but resist the urge to add salt because the prosciutto is naturally salty.
Pour the egg mixture evenly into each of the prosciutto cups. Pop into the oven and bake until puffed and cooked through. This takes about 15 minutes, give or take. While they are baking it is a great time to make the Panzanella Salad mixture.
If you are wondering if you can just pop an egg into each cup of prosciutto and call it a day… sure! That works too! You can take it out of the oven as soon as the whites are cooked through for a soft yolk.
Make the Panzanella
In a large bowl, combine the Buffalo mozzarella, tomatoes, cucumber, fresh basil and toasted bread cubes. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. Stir gently to coat, cover and store in the fridge until ready to serve. This can be made several hours in advance.
Assemble the Panzanella & Prosciutto Salad
When ready to serve, spread out the Panzanella on a large serving tray. Nestle the Prosciutto Egg Cups while still warm into the Panzanella. Serve with aged balsamic, freshly squeezed lemon juice and a good olive oil for drizzling on top.
More Gluten Free Brunch Recipes
- English Scones
- Lemon Poppyseed Scones
- Coffee Cake
- Make Ahead Sausage & Egg Souffle
- Banana Bread Make Ahead Oatmeal
- Carrot Cake Make Ahead Oatmeal
- Ham & Cheese Quiche with Hash Brown Crust
- Spicy Broccoli Quiche
- Truffle Spinach Quiche
Panzanella & Prosciutto Salad
Ingredients
- 4 slices gluten free sandwich bread - 6 slices if it is a small loaf of bread
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
- 5 tomatoes (roma or plum work well) - large dice
- 1 English cucumber - large dice
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves - roughly chopped
- 1 large ball Buffalo mozzarella, in water - cubed
- 2 tablespoon olive oil - plus more for serving
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed - plus more for serving
- aged balsamic vinegar for serving
Prosciutto Egg Cups:
- 16 slices prosciutto - approx. 6oz package
- 8 eggs
- ½ cup whole milk
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Generously grease a baking sheet.
- Cut the slices of bread into cubes and place them in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, stirring to coat on all sides. Then sprinkle with garlic powder, Italian Seasonings, salt and pepper. Turning to coat the bread on all sides.
- Lay the cubes of bread out on the baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes, just until browned lightly. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temp.
- While the eggs are baking (see instructions below), or several hours in advance, make the Panzanella Salad. In a large mixing bowl, combine the tomatoes, cucumber, mozzarella, basil and toasted bread cubes. Drizzle with the olive oil and freshly squeezed lemon juice and toss to coat well. Taste and add more & season with salt and pepper if needed.
- When ready to serve, spread the Panzanella Salad out on a large platter. Nestle the Prosciutto Egg Cups into the Panzanella Salad. Serve with aged balsamic vinegar, fresh squeezed lemon juice and/or good olive oil for drizzling on top.
Prosciutto Egg Cups:
- Turn the oven temp back to 400 degrees.
- Line the molds of 8 muffin tins with 2 slices of prosciutto in each cup. Let it fold over the edge some.
- Combine the eggs, milk, shredded cheese and pepper in a mixing bowl. Pour evenly into each of the prosciutto cups.
- Bake for 13-16 minutes, or until the eggs are puffed and slightly browned.
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