Pressed Italian Picnic Sandwich

It’s picnic time……pack a lunch and head to the park, the country or the beach. But, you need something to eat……pack a picnic and take a Pressed Italian Picnic Sandwich along.


Pressed Italain Picnic Sandwich

This really is the perfect sandwich…..make ahead, easy to tote, yummy Italian flavors ……perfect.

Pressed Italain Picnic Sandwich

To make these into ‘pressed sandwiches,’ basically all you do is layer with all your favorites……I chose a garlic loaf, layered with my favorite Italian meats, Tim and I like the spicy ones, of course! Creamy mild fresh mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, spinach, and basil, drizzled with a nice Italian oil.

Then wrap the whole loaf tightly with plastic wrap, then foil, and weigh it down in the refrigerator overnight.  I used a 5 pound bag of flour but anything heavy will do. This compresses all the ingredients together, really infusing the flavors.

Pressed Italian Picnic Sandwich

It also creates a tight compact sandwich where none of the ingredients will fall out and make a mess. Although I may have overloaded mine a bit!

Once the sandwich has been ‘pressed’, you can slice it and wrap individual sandwiches, or carry it to your destination whole and slice it as needed.

We were not going anywhere when I made this, but it worked out nice to carry to work for lunch. You could make one of these and have a weeks worth of lunches……if it lasts that long.

The ingredients I listed were my choice, but change it up and use pesto instead of basil, or roasted red peppers instead of the tomatoes, use the ingredients that suit your personal taste.

Pressed Italian Picnic Sandwich

Tip: when making sandwiches of any kind always make sure that the ‘juicy’ items, like tomatoes are in the center of the sandwich…..not touching the bread. This way your bread will not be soggy. If you are using a spread of any kind , make sure you get it to the edges of the bread so you don’t have a dry bite.

Pressed Italian Picnic Sandwich and Baby Red Potato Salad……..picnic fare extraordinaire!

Pressed Italian Picnic Sandwich Collage

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Pressed Italian Picnic Sandwich

Pressed Italian Picnic Sandwich

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  • Author: Marty Boyd
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: Overnight
  • Total Time: 15 minutes + hold overnight
  • Yield: 4 1x
  • Category: Sandwich
  • Method: Refrigerate
  • Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

Scale
  • 112 ounce loaf of your favorite Italian bread
  • 13 ounce package proscuitto
  • 16 ounce package of mix Italian meats (salami, capocollo, calabrese) your choice
  • 1214 slices Tomato
  • 1214 slices Fresh Mozzarella
  • 2 cups baby spinach
  • 1 cup basil leaves
  • Italian Oil
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Instructions

  1. Mix ingredients for Italian oil and set aside.
  2. Slice loaf of bread in half horizontally. Spread each side of bread with oil mixture.
  3. The layer 1/2 spinach, 1/2 cheese, meats, basil, tomatoes, remaining cheese, and remaining, spinach.
  4. Drizzle oil mixture on each layer as you build the sandwich.
  5. Place top on sandwich and press down. Wrap sandwich tightly in plastic wrap, then in tin foil. Making the sandwich on the plastic wrap makes it easier to wrap.
  6. Place sandwich on a plate or small cookie sheet. Lay a weight (I used a 5 pound bag of flour) on top of sandwich and refrigerate overnight.
  7. Unwrap, slice and enjoy!

 

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