Things I love about summer: late nights, grilling with friends, fruity fresh cocktails, and picnics! I’ve got the late nights with friends, grilling while sipping cocktails down, but sadly, not nearly enough picnics have been had.
The last picnic Jason and I went on was last summer to the beach – it was a perfect night. There was absolutely no stress. We threw two chairs and our cooler in the trunk, and picked up a few salads and snacks from the grocery store. #perfection
That is pretty much the best thing about a picnic, no stress. Seriously why haven’t I gone on more picnics?!
One of my all time fave sandwiches any time of year is a good ol’ BLT, but since that’s a sammie best served hot, it isn’t going to hold up all that well for my perfect picnic. Do you know what will work? A BLT salad! But not just any salad, a Panzanella Salad. If you’ve never had a traditional Panzanella, you’re totally missing out; an Italian salad made of bread and tomatoes that’s just perfect in the summer. It includes chunks of soaked stale bread and fresh tomatoes. I only recently discovered this flavorful, yet simple salad myself a few years back when I was at a local restaurant here in Tampa. WHY HADN’T I HEARD OF THIS SALAD BEFORE?! It’s all good though, I will eat all the Panzanella to make up for lost time.
So back to this BLT idea – we’re combining my fave sandwich, with my fave summer salad and making it its own thang. And we’re not stressing over it, because we’re going on a summer picnic and we’re leaving our worries at the door!
This salad can easily be made ahead of time in mason jars (layered in the following order: 2 tbs dressing, tomatoes, bacon, bread, romaine lettuce). Or mix all the ingredients together, and wait to add your dressing until you’re ready to eat, because even though we’re using hard bread, it will get soggy if the dressing sits for too long.
Use any fresh tomatoes you like! If you can find heirlooms, grab those (I used vine for today’s recipe). Pick up a pint of grape tomatoes for texture and size. You can even saute the grape tomatoes until they burst slightly for added flavor!
I love this salad!! I’ve made something similar, but mine didn’t look near as delicious!
Big fan of panzanella, and bacon is genius!
I love mason jar salads – they are so perfect for work!! xo, Biana –BlovedBoston
FUN, FUN, FUN!! I love that you turned a classic sandwich into a great salad! Saving and sharing 😉
Love the mason jar idea too!
You know I am LOVING this salad for two primary reasons….the portability of the jars and the BACON!!!
Love the flavors in your salad and it seems just right for summer parties!
Thanks so much, Soni!
Oh this salad looks so yummie.
This sounds so yummy!! Love a good salad… and moscato, of course. 😉
Audrey Adair | http://www.happilyaudrey.com
Love this salad! So perfect for a summer picnic…
Easy salad with all those fresh flavors!
I adore a panzanella salad, too, and adding bacon makes it even more outstanding!!! Once our tomatoes ripen, your version will be on my menu!
I love picnicking at the beach, and this salad is the perfect thing to pack in our basket!!
This is one of my favorite combinations! Your salad looks just amazing!
Perfect to make and take! Love the flavors!! I would keep this all to myself 🙂
That salad looks fresh and delicious!
Panzanella is one of my favorite salads. Love the BLT flavors.
Thanks, Renee!