Picnic Sandwich

Perhaps it was the 6 months of winter this year, but this California girl is extremely excited for the pending arrival of summer!  Over the weekend, there was a concert on the New Haven Green, and this provided the perfect opportunity to put together a picnic!  It was easy to pack the chips, strawberries, cowboy cookies and drinks, but the sandwich is where I always get a bit hung up.  The whole turkey on white bread situation could drive me to drink!  Sandwiches must be interesting, full of flavor, and hold up well (no soggy bread here!).

Obviously this isn’t rocket science, people.  You can change this up however you like, but here are some suggestions for a very tasty sandwich that holds up beautifully on your way to picnic-time fun.

Picnic Sandwich
Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens

12 sun dried tomatoes in oil, patted dry
1 jar olive tapenade
1 pound loaf French bread or Ciabatta or 6 Rolls (Onion, Ciabatta, Sourdough, etc.)
1/2 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature or 1 package Boursin
1/3 cup basil pesto (Trader Joe’s has a good one!)
6 slices provolone or pepper jack cheese
8 ounces thinly sliced peppered or regular salami
1 small jar banana or pepperoncini pepper slices
1/2 medium red onion, very thinly sliced

If using French or Ciabatta bread, split loaf in half horizontally.  Remove some soft bread from the bottom half of the loaf, leaving a 1/2-inch-thick shell.  If using rolls, simply split in half horizontally.

Spread cream cheese or Boursin on cut sides of both bread halves.  Spread bottom half with olive tapenade and top half with pesto.  On bottom half, layer provolone or pepper jack cheese, salami, sun dried tomatoes, peppers and onion.

Place loaf top on bottom half of sandwich, and press down.  Cut in sections and tightly wrap in plastic.

Enthusiastically serves 6!

Tagged as: Boursin, French bread, olive tapenade, pepper jack cheese, pepperoncini, pesto, provolone, salami, sandwich, sun dried tomatoes