Giant Pressed Italian Sandwich

The beauty of this recipe is that you can assemble it in the morning (or even a day ahead) and heat it up that evening for dinner. And as much as we love it in this crisp, ooey-gooey form, it’s also a wonder unheated, making it perfect for a picnic or a hot day when you don’t want to turn on the oven.

Serves 4-6 | Total Time: Less Than 60 Mins

Ingredients

1 (14- to 16-inch) loaf soft Italian bread

¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1 (6-ounce) package Provolone
1 (7-ounce) package Applegate Naturals^® Black Forest Ham
1 (7-ounce) package Applegate Naturals^® Genoa Salami
½ cup thinly sliced roasted red peppers
1/3 cup thinly sliced pickled hot peppers
1/3 cup chopped black olives
1 teaspoon dried oregano

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Slice the loaf of bread in half lengthwise. Arrange the bottom half on the parchment lined baking sheet. Drizzle the cut side with half of the olive oil and vinegar.
Arrange the provolone in an even layer over the bottom piece of bread, followed by the ham, salami and mozzarella. Scatter the roasted red peppers, pickled hot peppers and black olives evenly over the mozzarella. Sprinkle the oregano over top.
Drizzle the remaining olive oil and vinegar over the cut side of the remaining piece of bread and lay on top of the sandwich. (Sandwich can be made up to this point, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 24 hours.)
To bake, lay another sheet of parchment paper over the sandwich and top with a baking sheet. Top the baking sheet with a heavy cast-iron skillet or some other ovenproof weight and carefully place in the oven.
Bake the sandwich until filling is hot, cheese is melted and bread is crisp, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven, cut into wedges and serve at once.ese is melted and bread is crisp, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven, cut into wedges and serve at once.