Paper Palate

What is not to love about sandwiches?  They’re universal, and easy and fun to make, if you get creative.  Cooking can be fun, if you get creative and let your mind wander to the open possibilities.  In my household, the typical sandwich meats are turkey and ham, with variations of smoked and honey cured.  Can you go wrong with that?  Probably not, but can you make it better? 

I love Italian meat sandwiches so I decided to explore and add all the “Italian” ingredients I could find onto this sandwich, and this is a sandwich, a huge sandwich great for any party.  Think Football game, Poker Party, anywhere testosterone gathers!

The Italian sandwich has freshly sliced salami, pepperoni, ham and smoked turkey! Then add some fresh provolone, green peppers, red onions, tomatoes, lettuce, good Italian dressing and special garlic mayonnaise and we’re sizzling!  The only thing you will need to be concern about is if you can get the sandwich in your mouth to take a bite!  The next key to a great sandwich is good quality bread and for this sandwich we are using great quality freshly baked Ciabatta bread.  Ciabatta is a great bread for sandwiches because of its air pockets which hold dressings well.  Combine all the ingredients together and start stacking your sandwich, and most importantly, have fun creating your sandwich.

Ingredients:
1 loaf of fresh Ciabatta bread
Sliced Turkey
Sliced Ham
Sliced Salami
Sliced Pepperoni
Sliced Provolone
Romaine Lettuce (whole)
1 large firm Tomato, Sliced
1 Green Bell Pepper, Sliced
1 Small Red Onion, Sliced
Italian Dressing
Garlic Mayo (recipe follows)
Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Method:

1. Split the ciabatta bread.  On the bottom half add the Italian dressing throughout the entire loaf of bread.  Spread the mayo on the top piece of bread.

2. Add a layer as follows (first to last):
Red Onions
Green Peppers
Tomatoes
Ham
Turkey
Salami
Pepperoni
Salami
Provolone
Lettuce

*If you’re feeling daring, repeat!

3. Top with the top slice of bread.  Alternate preparation:  once the cheese has been added heat your broiler at 425 degrees and set the sandwich in the oven (without the top) and melt the cheese, about 5-10 minutes.  Then add the lettuce and top half of bread, slice and serve!

Garlic Mayo Recipe:
3/4 Cup of Mayo (Hellman’s)
3 Garlic Cloves, Smashed, Crushed into a paste
Pinch of Salt
Pinch of Onion Powder
Pinch of Fresh Ground Pepper
Mix