A panzanella bread salad with all the elements of a combo pizza.
A combination pizza (sometimes called supreme) has all the classic toppings. These fully loaded pies generally have sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, olives, onion, and bell peppers. And of course the crust, tomato sauce, and cheese. This salad take all those elements and puts a new spin on them. It comes together with just one skillet to sauté the onions, sausage, and mushrooms, crisp the bread and pepperoni, soften the bell peppers, and melt the cheese. Tomatoes, olives, and red wine vinegar are tossed in at the end to complete this crowd-pleasing pizza salad.
Combination Pizza Panzanella Salad
When faced with the classic Costco conundrum of choosing between a cheese, pepperoni, or combination pizza, I generally go with the combination. With sausage, pepperoni, mushroom, olive, onion, and bell pepper it just seems like more bang for the buck—plus it’s delicious. Unfortunately, Costco no longer offers the beloved combination pizza, leading me to seek out alternatives. Here is one option that is not a pizza per se, but with all the trappings in a bread-based salad. It comes together quickly and easily with just one skillet and is sure to scratch the itch whenever a combo pizza craving hits.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil divided
- 1 small red onion roughly chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 6 cloves garlic smashed
- 8 oz ground Italian sausage
- 4 oz cremini mushrooms cut in half
- Kosher salt and pepper
- 2 thick slices crusty sourdough bread cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 red bell pepper chopped into 1-inch pieces
- ½ cup pepperoni slices
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes cut in half
- ¾ cup black olives whole
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup basil or parsley chopped
Instructions
- Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and onion and cook briefly until fragrant. Add Italian sausage and mushrooms to skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 7-8 minutes or until they are browned. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl.
- Set oven to broil with a shelf near the top. Add bread and bell pepper to the skillet and toss with 1 tbsp olive oil. Place under broiler and cook, tossing every 1-2 minutes until peppers are charred and bread is lightly toasted.
- Add sausage and mushroom mixture back to the skillet. Toss everything together and spread into an even layer. Top with mozzarella cheese, then top with pepperoni. Return to broiler for 1-2 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Add olives, cherry tomatoes, and red wine vinegar. Toss and serve topped with basil or parsley.
