Panzanella Kale Salad with Apples, Bacon and Cheese Vinaigrette + A Giveaway!

This kale salad recipe is a twist on Panzanella with grilled bread, apples, turkey bacon and the best smokey cheese vinaigrette. It’s healthy, quick and easy!

You guys.

It has happened.

You know that saying “’insert something that you think will never happen here’ will happen when pigs fly?”

Well, the pigs? They have FLOWN.

And not “flown” like they just put on a lei (?) and got on a plane to fly away for vacation.

That wouldn’t be all that ca-ray-zay.

These pigs sprouted wings and flew BY THEMSELVES. WHOA guys.

And by all this talk of flying pigs, I am really just trying to tell you that The hub-pants REQUESTED a KALE  SALAD. Like, green food.

It went like this:

Me: “Hey hubs, what do you want for lunch? There is some left over coffee rubbed steak that I could make the manliest of manlys sandwich out of, with nothing green or anything that evenly remotely resembles a vegetable in it.”

Hubs:  “Is there any of that kale salad thing-a-majig, with the cheese and bread, left over? I would actually really like that please.”

My ears fell off my head.

I could not believe the sound waves that were passing through them.

Or however ears do their thang. I didn’t pay attention in science class.

Moving on

The mere fact that a MAN requested a KALE  SALAD is enough reason alone to make it, and I feel like I don’t need to give you many other reasons why. So, let’s just talk about the components that make this salad off the cheeeezzzyyy.

1. Cheese
2. Bacon
3. Carbs
4. Cheese, the sequel

Is there really much more to life?

I hope you answered no, or we can’t be friends anymore. KIDDING! <3

But, if you answered “yes” then you should check out California Cafe’s Kale and Apple Salad Recipe from Fearless Dining, for an alternate version!

Let’s talk about the cheese though; Jarlsberg cheese to be exact.

Have ya’ll tried this stuff? It’s creamy, nutty…and absolutely epic.

You could put a mini steering wheel on it and call it the Cadillac of cheese.

For mice.

You know what else we should address, and I can already feel you pondering whether or not you should throw your chair at me for mentioning?

The fact that the fall is coming up! GAH.

BUT, this kale salad is the best of both seasons. Use a little grill magic to cling to the summah, but then invite some apples and kale to the party to welcome the fall with open mouths.

It’s like one, big, seasonal TRANSFORMER. The excitement!

Last key factor. Smokey. Honey. Mustard. Cheese. Vinaigrette.

Yah, make extra.

You’re going to bathe in it.

Recipe

Panzanella Kale Salad with Apples, Bacon and Cheese Vinaigrette

5 from 2 votes

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Serves: 4 -8

Prep: 10 minutes minutes

Cook: 10 minutes minutes

Total: 20 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 4 Cups Packed cubed crusty bread I used a wheat baguette
• Olive oil for drizzling
• 1 1/3 Cups Red onion Roughly chopped
• 4 Strips of Turkey Bacon
• 5-6 Cups Kale roughly chopped
• 2 Cups Apples diced (about 1 large apple)
• For the dressing:
• 1/2 Cup Jarlsberg Light Cheese FINELY grated*
• 2 Tbsp + 2 tsp Olive oil
• 1 1/4 tsp Hickory liquid smoke
• 1 Tbsp + 2 tsp Maple syrup
• 1 Tbsp +1 tsp Yellow mustard
• 1 Tbsp +1 tsp Apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 Tbsp Garlic minced
• Salt/pepper to taste

Instructions

• Preheat your grill[/url]to medium heat and place the cubed bread in a [url href=http://amzn.to/1ODgucb target=_blank rel=nofollow]large bowl. Lightly drizzle the bread with olive oil and toss so that it coats the cubes.
• Place the bread on the grill and grill until lightly charred and crunchy, about 1 - 1/2 mins (watch them closely, because they burn quickly!) Then flip and cook the other side until crunchy. Place into a bowl and set aside.
• Place a grill basket on the grill and add in the chopped red onion. Cook until lightly charred, stirring every so often.
• While the red onion cooks, heat a large pan on medium high heat and spray it with cooking spray. Cook the bacon strips until golden brown and crispy, about 1-3 mins per side. Transfer to a paper towel to remove an excess fat, and cut into thin slices.
• Place the kale and diced apples into a large serving bowl. Then, add in the cubed bread, red onion and bacon slices. Toss to evenly distribute.
• To make the dressing:
• Place all the ingredients in asmall food processorand blend until smooth and creamy. **
• Pour as much of the dressing as your heart desires over the the salad and DEVOUR.

Tips & Notes:

Finely grated cheese is key to making sure your dress is creamy, not chunky. Use the finer side of your cheese grater for this
* We liked the constituency of the dressing best after letting it sit for a few hours in the fridge, as it got a little thicker and creamier. So, if you have time, make it a little in advance!

Nutrition Disclaimer

Recipes written and produced on Food Faith Fitness are for informational purposes only.

Author: FoodFaithFitness

Course:Main Course

Cuisine:American

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This post is not sponsored by Jarlsberg, but they were kind enough to provide me with the product for the recipe!

IF YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE, PLEASE REMEMBER TO TAG @FOODFAITHFIT AND #FOODFAITHFITNESS ON INSTRAGRAM! I LOVE SEEING YOUR RECIPE RECREATIONS! 🙂

 Want more cheesy goodness?

Egg White Enchiladas

Cheesy Bacon Ranch Chicken

BBQ Chicken Spaghetti Squash Casserole

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