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Jim Dixon wrote about food for WW for more than 20 years, but these days most of his time is spent at his olive oil-focused specialty food business Wellspent Market. Jim’s always loved to eat, and he encourages his customers to cook by sending them recipes every week through his newsletter. We’re happy to have him back creating some special dishes just for WW readers.
Panade translates literally from the original French to “bread mash,” and while that’s not a bad description, it doesn’t really capture its delicious simplicity. Classic poor folks’ food, panade combines stale bread with slow-cooked onions, a little cheese, and water or broth to make a sort of savory bread pudding.
It’s best with a rustic, whole wheat loaf, and while the recipe lists ingredient quantities, I usually just eyeball everything. And since properly caramelizing onions takes some time, I always cook five to six at a time so I have plenty left over for sandwiches, eggs, pasta, or anything else that could use some sweet onion goodness.
A classic panade layers the bread and vegetables, but it’s easier to just mix them together, dump it into a baking pan or skillet, then pour in broth until it’s just below the top of the bread. Parchment paper and foil go on top, then it’s baked low and slow before pulling back the cover and letting the top get brown and a little crispy.
Onion Panade
- 2-3 onions, caramelized (about 1½ cup)*
- 2 cups stale bread cubes (3-4 slices Ken’s batard)
- 4 oz grated Gruyère or other hard, flavorful cheese
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 cups broth or water
- extra virgin olive oil for pan
*Slice the onions and cook in olive oil over medium low heat, stirring occasionally, for about an hour; if they start to burn, add water about ¼ cup at a time
Combine the bread, onions, cheese, pepper, salt, and thyme in an oiled skillet or baking pan, packing it down tightly. Add the broth until it almost covers the bread; you may need more or less than 2 cups, and it’s fine to add water if you run out of broth.
Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the pan and press it onto the bread. Cover with foil if the pan doesn’t have a lid, and bake in a 300-degree oven for 2 hours. Remove the lid or foil and the parchment, increase the oven temperature to 375, and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until the top is nicely browned.