The Perfect Picnic Sandwich
This summer I discovered the perfect picnic sandwich. I took the original recipe for a “Muffuletta Sandwich”, a specialty hero-style sandwich of New Orleans, and switched it up a bit to make it a little more “family friendly”. A Muffuletta is a multi-layered sandwich made on a large round loaf of Italian bread, smothered with olive dressing, and layered with delicious Italian-inspired ingredients. My version, the “picnic sandwich”, consists of a round loaf of multi-grain bread, olive spread, hummus (or any other dip/spread you may have on hand), grilled or roasted vegetables, sliced meats, sliced cheeses, tomatoes, pickles etc. This sandwich is perfect for a picnic, lunch on the dock, or a packed lunch because it can be made ahead of time, feeds a crowd, is easy to transport, and, most importantly, tastes incredible.
Perfect Picnic Sandwich
Makes 8 sandwiches
You’ll Need
- 1 round loaf of bread, about 8” in diameter
- Olive spread/tapenade
- Dip (hummus, baba ghanouj)
- Grilled/roasted vegetables
- 100 g salami
- 100 g pancetta
- 100 g provolone cheese
- 100 g cheddar cheese
- Pickles, sliced
- Tomatoes, sliced
Preparation
- Assemble your sandwich a few hours ahead of time to ensure the flavour of the olive spread and dips get absorbed in the bread.
- Cut the loaf of bread in half, horizontally and scoop out some of the bread from each half.
- Spread one half of the bread with olive spread and the other with a dip of your choice.
- Layer the meats, cheeses, and vegetables on the bottom half of the sandwich.
- Place the top piece of the loaf on the top, tightly wrap the sandwich in plastic wrap, weigh the sandwich down with something heavy (such as a cast iron skillet), and refrigerate.
- Slice the picnic sandwich into wedges and serve.
What are you packing for lunch this summer?
