The beauty of a pressed sandwich isn’t just that it can be done ahead of time, but that it actually should be done ahead of time.
This is one of those rare sandwiches that improves with time. It also happens to be an excellent way to feed a crowd at a picnic.
Start by slicing a full loaf of bread in half horizontally. A bit of the insides of each half is removed, then the cut side of each half of the bread is liberally coated with an oil- or other fat-based condiment.
This step is key because that fat creates a barrier that helps prevent moist sandwich fillings from making your bread soggy.
After that, you just pile on the fillings. The only caution is to pat dry any ingredients that were packed in water, such as roasted red peppers, sliced jalapenos or even fresh mozzarella.
To finish, the sandwich is wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, then foil, then placed in the refrigerator, where it is weighed down.
The next day, you just unwrap, slice and enjoy.
Overnight pressed picnic sandwich
1loaf Italian bread, such as ciabatta
3/4cup purchased pesto
2cups coarsely shredded meat from a rotisserie chicken
3/4cup jarred sweet-hot peppers, such as Peppadew or banana, sliced
4ounces sliced provolone cheese
4ounces sliced salami
1small yellow or orange bell pepper, cored and thinly sliced
1small green bell pepper, cored and thinly sliced
1/2cup sliced Kalamata olives
Slice the loaf of bread in half horizontally. Use your fingers to carefully pull or scrape out the inside of each half of the loaf, leaving about 1/2 inch of bread. Spread half of the pesto over the cut side of each half.
Top the bottom half of the loaf of bread with the chicken, jarred peppers, provolone and the salami, in that order. Top that with the bell peppers, then the olives.
Top with the upper half of the loaf. Wrap the loaf tightly first in plastic wrap, then in foil. Place the wrapped loaf on a baking sheet, then top with a second baking sheet. Place the whole arrangement in the refrigerator, then top with something very heavy, such as several bricks, a few large cans of tomatoes, or a cast iron skillet.
Let sit in the refrigerator overnight. When ready to serve, unwrap and slice.
Makes 6 servings. Per serving: 510 calories; 270 calories from fat (53 percent of total calories); 30 g fat (10 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 90 mg cholesterol; 26 g carbohydrate; 2 g fiber; 1 g sugar; 33 g protein; 1,430 mg sodium.
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