Italian Pressed Sandwhiches

This one is definitely a splurge but an easy and delicious way to feed a lot of people. I've made these on two different occasions to bring along wine tasting in Napa. After the 4th winery, these little guys probably saved some lives. I love that they are compact and not too messy, great to bring to potlucks, BBQs, picnics and parties. I have yet to meet someone who didn't love them... although that could be the wine.

 

I didn't add any measurements or amounts to this recipe because its really totally up to you and how many people you are feeding.

I used: salami, proscuttio, pesto, fresh basil, a bruschetta tomato sauce from Trader Joe's (the second time around I used a red pepper spread and that was even better!), mozzarella and a beautiful herbed focaccia bread also from, you guessed it, Trader Joe's.

I sliced the focaccia in half and spread pesto on one side and the tomato sauce on the other. I then layered one side with salami and the other with proscuttio. The fresh basil leaves and the sliced low moisture, part skim mozzarella came last. I put the sandwhich together and wrapped tightly with saran wrap. THEN - here is the "pressed" part - it needs to be weighted down in the fridge overnight. I laid two big college textbooks and a 10 lb kettlebell on each one - even less weight might be fine.

The next morning I unwrapped, trimmed up the edges, and cut into cute little rectangles. You can add a toothpick but they do pretty well holding up, even throughout the day.