Last Updated January 6th, 2022 at 10:06 pm by Lisa
Yummy Picnic Food is easy with Pressed Italian Sandwiches that are both neat to eat and hold. You can make these a day ahead, they keep very well overnight in the fridge. This pressed sandwich recipe is bursting with flavor from the olives, pepperoncini, salami, deli meat, and more!
Pop into a picnic basket or cooler, and head off to the beach, a concert, or a picnic in the park. These sandwiches will have people talking at your July 4th picnic, talking about how good they taste! You can make these sandwiches in countless ways using meats, cheeses, and fillings you love...
What Are Pressed Sandwiches?
A pressed sandwich is a loaf of rustic bread (sourdough boulle) that's split, filled with delicious layers of ingredients, and then wrapped tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerated overnight under a weight to flatten the layers and meld the flavors.
What Ingredients Can I Put In Pressed Sandwiches?
Here are some of my favorite ideas to get you inspired! What I LOVE about this recipe, is that you can use what you have on hand, or make the sandwich using your favorite ingredients.
- round boule bread loaf
- a spread that adds flavor using parsley, vinegar, olive oil, chopped olives, capers, and pepperoncinis.
- fresh baby spinach or small lettuce leaves
- sliced cheese; Colby-jack, sharp cheddar, swiss, mozzarella, pepper jack, provolone, Havarti, or white cheddar
- thinly sliced deli meats; ham, chicken, turkey, salami, prosciutto
- other optional ingredients; an artichoke spread, olive tapenade, or roasted red bell peppers
Pressed Sandwich Step-by-Step:
How to Make Italian Pressed Sandwiches:
- Use a round boule bread loaf, and a small serrated knife and cut the boulle around the side evenly.
- Rotate the loaf of bread, and cut the boule loaf in half removing the top from the bottom.
- Use your fingers and scoop out the bread from the top and bottom of the boule.
- Leave about a ½ inch shell to allow the filling to be pressed flat in the bread loaf.
- In a small bowl, mix the olives (or olive tapenade), pepperoncinis, parsley, olive oil, vinegar, capers, and black pepper. Spread 1 cup of the olive mixture on the bread bottom.
- Next, layer all the sandwich ingredients: cheese, deli meats, spinach, spreads or toppings you like. Add the rest of the olive mixture if you have any left.
- Place the top of the boulle load on, and press gently down while you wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Use plastic wrap to tightly wrap the sandwich, wrap the sandwich a couple times, and cover completely.
- Place the sandwich between two cookie sheets and something heavy like large cans or containers of juice to weight it down.
- Keep in the refrigerator at least 2-3 hours, overnight is better as it has time to press and the flavors are better.
- Use a serrated knife to cut the sandwich into 8 wedges.
- Serve with side salads like easy pasta salad, macaroni salad, and cut watermelon.
The SECRET TO THIS SANDWICH is to wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and to press or weight it down between 2 cookie sheets. Use cans or jars in the fridge to "press" the sandwich flatter. It will cut very easily when cold, and looks so pretty!
Where Does The Word Picnic Come From?
Picnic was originally a 17th Century French word, picque-nique. Its meaning was similar to today's meaning: a social gathering where each person shares a dish of food.
Picnic Food Packing Tips:
- Use small paper takeout boxes ordered inexpensively online for salads, fruit, and sides.
- Use frozen water bottles in your cooler, then you can drink them.
- Use paper take out containers at your picnic to eat right from those containers, or pass and serve onto paper plates.
- Make your pressed sandwiches, desserts, and sides the night before. Then just box them up in the cooler or picnic basket. Think of items that slice and are easily wrapped.
What Are The Best Picnic Foods To Pack Or Share At Your Next Party?
The best picnic food recipes are ones that can be served in small containers and passed around, or held in your hand like a cut sandwich that stays together. Small bite size desserts that hold their shapes (and don't melt) are a great choice as well! Here are some picnic recipes that our family loves, and have become favorites over the years.
TIP: Buy inexpensive paper take out containers (aka Chinese Food boxes) and pack in these! People love to have their own, or pass around and easily toss the used container when empty.
Glad these are not real ants marching at our picnic today!
Picnic Food Ideas:
Get your cooler or basket packed and go have a picnic..go on.. get going it will be delicious!
Happy Picnicking!
All the Best,
Lisa
XO
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Picnic Food: Pressed Italian Sandwiches
Ingredients
- ½ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar red is fine too
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup kalamata olives finely chopped (or use olive tapenade)
- ¼ cup capers drained and finely chopped
- ¼ cup pepperoncini's finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 1 Italian Round Boulle Bread Loaf
- 6-8 slices Colby cheese or cheese you like
- 10-12 slices Italian dry salami
- 8 slices turkey or chicken deli meat
- 2 cups fresh organic baby spinach
- Optional sandwich filling ideas: ham pepperoni, roasted red peppers, different cheeses, artichoke spread, and chopped olives-any kind.
Instructions
- Use a round boule bread loaf, and a small serrated knife and cut the boulle around the side evenly.
- Rotate the loaf of bread, and cut the boule loaf in half removing the top from the bottom.
- Use your fingers and scoop out the bread from the top and bottom of the boule.
- Leave about a ½ inch shell to allow the filling to be pressed flat in the bread loaf.
- In a small bowl, mix the olives (or olive tapenade), pepperoncinis, parsley, olive oil, vinegar, capers, and black pepper. Spread 1 cup of the olive mixture on the bread bottom.
- Next, layer all the sandwich ingredients: cheese, deli meats, spinach, spreads or toppings you like. Add the rest of the olive mixture if you have any left.
- Place the top of the boulle load on, and press gently down while you wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Use plastic wrap to tightly wrap the sandwich, wrap the sandwich a couple times, and cover completely.
- Place the sandwich between two cookie sheets and something heavy like large cans or containers of juice to weight it down.
- Keep in the refrigerator at least 2-3 hours, overnight is better as it has time to press and the flavors are better.
- Use a serrated knife to cut the sandwich into 8 wedges.
- Serve with side salads like easy pasta salad, macaroni salad and cut watermelon.
Notes
Picnic Packing Tips:
- Use small paper takeout boxes ordered inexpensively online for salads, fruit, and sides.
- Use frozen water bottles in your cooler, then you can drink them.
- Use paper take out containers at your picnic to eat right from those containers, or pass and serve onto paper plates.
- Make your pressed sandwiches, desserts, and sides the night before. Then just box them up in the cooler or picnic basket. Think of items that slice and are easily wrapped.
What a cool post! These sandwiches looks so tasty, I'd love to try them. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
I am in love! I have been planning a picnic party with my girls and this def makes it easier for me!
Well we are too! As a matter of fact, I really have these in the fridge right now! Made them twice in the last few weeks, and gave one big sandwich to my friends son, who is a football player and just loves this sandwich. You can put anything in there you like, works sooo well for beach, picnics, pool parties etc! Have fun and let us know what you put in your sandwich!
Looks like such a yummy lunch idea. Perfect for my upcoming family picnic!
We are huge fans of this sandwich, I have served it many times to large groups, it makes it so easy!
How cute! I have always wanted to have an actual picnic in the park like this one but never have. I'll definitely have to try this out. Thanks for sharing!
Right? These are so super fun and easy. The best part is you can make them the day before your party or picnic! They can be made with whatever ingredients or spreads you like. I have used all kinds of dips as my spread and layered cheeses and meats that went together, with some lettuce, it all works so well, just wrap, press, and slice!
That looks like an adorable picnic. We love having picnics with our kids at parks.
Aww thank you Kayla, I went all out on that vintage picnic basket...couldn't resist it when I saw it! We love picnics too...
It definitely looks like the perfect picnic sandwich. Kind of reminds me of a Sandwich Alton Brown made only maybe a little more complex. I will have to try this out.
Oh do! I love Alton Brown-boy did I learn a lot from his show! You can make this sandwich with any spread, deli meats, vegetables, or cheeses you like. I have made it countless times, we always love it!
I've never seen anything like this. I'll have to try it sometime!
I prefer to eat freshly made sandwiches. But since this could be made a night ahead, Meaning it could be stored longer. Do I make sense? LOL.
Wow the sandwich really looks neat. It's as if no crumbs would fall off. LOL
Great point! I wrap them tightly in saran wrap, and you can put anything in them you like! You don't have to use any ingredient that isn't your fave. I slice right through the wrapped sandwich with a small serated knife, it cuts super clean! Enjoy...
This recipe looks amazing!! I love sandwiches with red wine vinegar. I can't wait to try.
These are my go-to summertime favorite sandwich.... I just made 2 of them this morning for a little pool party cause it's going to be in the low 100's today...hot!
Really easy fast sandwich that you can make the night before, and take to a picnic, lake, beach etc. It is always a hit with my friends and kids love it too!
I am so happy to have found this post! I will be planning a picnic and trust me, I will be using your tips here. Everything looks so good and the presentation is excellent. Thank you!
Oh that is great Valerie! Picnics are always tough to pack things that stay together. We have served this so many places, and you can put whatever deli meat, cheese, or spreads you like!
I could eat this all day! These remind me of a combination of the hoagies I had growing up in Philly and muffalettas from "Nawlins." I made this to take to a friend's and we drank wine and ate these up -- FANTASTIC! I love how everything tastes after marinating together overnight. Definitely a keeper!