Pressed Italian Sandwiches with Olive Tapenade

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Tom Thumb for Albertsons. All opinions are 100% mine.

Need an easy no-cook meal during the warmer months? Prep these sandwiches in 20 minutes and stick them in the fridge to "press" until you're ready to slice & eat. They make a simple lunch or dinner but are jam-packed with savory cold cuts, creamy cheese, briny olive tapenade, tangy pickled peppers, and peppery greens so you won't get bored. They're also excellent for picnics and day trips!

Having lived in Texas for 8 years now, I am well-acquainted with blazing hot temps that start in April and last until November.

As such, I've come to appreciate no-cook recipes on those days when the grass is extra crunchy, the cicadas won't stop humming, and getting into a car that's been parked in the sun requires extra care so you don't burn yourself.

If you live in the South, Southwest, or parts of the Midwest, I know you can relate.

My go-to meals when it's ridiculously hot outside are sandwiches, salads, wraps & appetizer plates. Something with a good mix of protein, veggies & carbs + variety of flavors. It also has to be quick & easy to prep because there's a good chance all my energy's been zapped away from time in the sun.

My favorite no-cook recipes that I fixed on the regular last year are chicken hummus naan wraps, a summer charcuterie board, and strawberry chicken salad.

But my current obsession is pressed sandwiches! They're endlessly customizable, feature simple + high-quality ingredients, and are easy to transport.

How? Thanks to a bit of time in the fridge where the sandwich is "pressed" down by a heavy object (like a cast-iron skillet, a jug of milk, hand weight, etc.), the fillings compact into an even layer that makes it easy to hold and eat. You don't have to worry about ingredients slipping out the sides of the bread to fall all over your lap. WIN!

They're also JAM-PACKED with intensely flavorful ingredients that stand alone by themselves. Like premium-quality meats & cheeses from Primo Taglio®, smooth & briny olive tapenade, crusty & chewy fresh bread, and vinegary pickled peppers with a kick. Combined together in a sandwich? Savory heaven!

Ingredients For Pressed Italian Sandwiches

To make this pressed sandwich, you'll need the following ingredients:

• Fresh Unsliced Loaf of Bread (8-10 Inches): Get something that's slightly crusty on the outside but soft on the inside like focaccia, ciabatta, or regular Italian bread. The soft interior makes it easier to chew and allows the olive oil + tapenade to penetrate the inner layer with lots of flavors. I used a round 8-inch loaf of rosemary sea salt artisan bread that's pretty comparable to focaccia.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil: I use this in my homemade olive tapenade & also drizzle a bit onto the bread before laying on the fillings.
• Olive Tapenade (store-bought or homemade): I make mine with two types of briny, pitted olives (Kalamata & Castelvetrano), fresh garlic, olive oil, homemade red wine vinaigrette, and a teensy bit of capers for an extra salty punch. Measure everything into a blender or food processor, pulse a few times to make a rough paste, and you're ready to go.
• Cold Cut Meats (3 different types, thinly-sliced): I used Italian dry salami, prosciutto, and black forest ham from Primo Taglio.
• Provolone Cheese (thinly-sliced): I used Primo Taglio's pre-sliced provolone but they also have a whole milk mozzarella and crumbled feta cheese that would be yummy in this recipe.
• Pickled banana peppers or pepperoncini peppers: These add a much-needed vinegar tang that cuts through the richness of the meat & cheese. This time around, I used pre-sliced banana peppers on the sandwich itself, but attached whole pepperoncini peppers to the top of my cut sandwiches with a toothpick.
• Red onion (thinly sliced in circles): This adds a bit of crunch & spice to the sandwich. Omit them if you don't like onions but they are so good!
• Arugula: This is a small leafy green with a peppery taste. The hint of spice + bitterness from the greens contrasts beautifully with the fatty meats & cheeses. If you can't find it at your local store, sub your favorite baby greens like spring mix, kale, or spinach.

Tips For Making The Best (Cold) Pressed Sandwiches

• If possible, pick a thinner loaf of bread with a larger surface area so your sandwiches aren't super thick. The pressing technique compacts the sandwich to some degree but only goes so far if you're generous with the fillings. Thick sandwiches look lovely but they're awkward to eat. If you can't find one big thin loaf, use 2-3 smaller loaves instead with the filling ingredients spread out amongst them.
• Choose fresh bread that was baked the same day you make the sandwich. Especially if you plan to prep this a day ahead of time for a picnic, day trip, or camping excursion. Stale bread makes sad sandwiches, especially when they're cold. We want it as fresh as possible!
• If your loaf of bread is domed instead of flat-ish, you can tear out a portion of the top half's interior to make room for more fillings. Save the extra bread in a freezer bag to use for homemade croutons or breadcrumbs.
• Make sure to pat the pickled peppers (or any wet ingredients you add) with a paper towel before laying them on the sandwich so the brine doesn't saturate the outside of the bread & make it soggy.
• Wrap the sandwich very tightly with plastic wrap and don't trim the edges or cut it into sections until you're a couple of hours away from mealtime. This helps to keep the bread from drying out.
• To speed up the pressing process (if you want to serve it a few hours later), apply heavier weight to the top of the sandwich. I'm probably in the minority here, but I use 15-20 lbs. on my pressed sandwich and only leave it in the fridge for 2 hours. Most pressed sandwich recipes call for 2-5 lbs. of weight but require you to let it sit in the fridge overnight. I'm not that patient! I also enjoy eating the sandwich with the bread super fresh.
• IMPORTANT: If you're applying more weight, make sure to place the sandwich in a sturdy area of your fridge that can handle heavy items. Pick the spot where you'd place 2 to 3 gallons of milk (those are typically 8-9 lbs. per jug).

How to Package These Sandwiches For a Picnic or Day Trip

1. The morning of your excursion, trim the edges off the sandwich so it's a large square shape and slice into 8 equal-sized pieces. (Eat the scraps immediately or save for later.)
2. Wrap each piece with a strip of parchment paper or wax paper and tie a small length of hemp cord or baker's twine over the paper to secure it. (See picture below for reference.)
3. Place the sandwich slices in a container with a tight-fitting lid to keep the bread fresh. Use a smaller container, if possible, so the sandwiches fit snugly and don't get tossed around during transport. If you won't be eating them within an hour or so, place the sandwiches in a cooler full of ice (make sure no water can seep in) to keep them cold.
4. When you're ready to eat, unwrap the sandwiches and (if desired), top each piece with extra pickled peppers and/or olives + a toothpick to hold it all together.

Where to Find Primo Taglio

If you've read my post on how to make a charcuterie board, you know I adore Primo Taglio meats and cheeses. Never heard of them?

Primo Taglio is a premium quality line of meats and cheeses made with high-quality ingredients. (Primo Taglio stands for “first cut” in Italian and means that every slice tastes as fresh and delicious as the first.) It's available at a great value in the Dallas, Texas area exclusively at Tom Thumb and Albertsons stores.

Features I Love About Primo Taglio Cheeses & Meats:

• Their products are made with the finest ingredients, using traditional, time-honored preparation methods, and no artificial flavors, colors, or MSG (with the exception of some classics like American cheese and certain value meats).
• They make their cheese using old-world recipes (which can be naturally aged up to 2 years) and the highest quality milk.
• Many of the Primo Taglio meats use whole muscle meat with no binders or fillers.

TIP: Do you live in the Dallas area and don't want to go inside to shop? Tom Thumb also offers Grocery Delivery and DriveUp & Go™ for convenient ways to shop!

Note: Live outside the Dallas area? I shopped at my local Tom Thumb store, but you can also find Primo Taglio products at the Albertsons Companies family of stores, including Albertsons, Safeway, ACME Markets, Jewel-Osco, Vons, Randalls, Shaw’s Supermarket, Star Market, Tom Thumb, and Vons.

pressed sandwich, Italian pressed sandwich, best picnic sandwich, olive tapenade

main dishes

Italian

Yield: 8 servings

Author: Elaina - The Rising Spoon

Pressed Italian Sandwiches with Olive Tapenade

Prep time: 20 MCook time: Total time: 20 M

Need an easy no-cook meal during the warmer months? Prep these sandwiches and stick them in the fridge to "press" until you're ready to slice & eat. They make a simple lunch or dinner but are jam-packed with savory ingredients so you won't get bored. They're also excellent for picnics and day trips!

Ingredients:

For The Pressed Sandwiches:

• 1 (8-10 inch) loaf of bread (like focaccia, ciabatta, or regular Italian bread)
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup of store-bought or homemade olive tapenade (see recipe below)
• 8 oz of salami (I used Primo Taglio's Italian dry salame)
• 8 oz of provolone cheese slices (I used Primo Taglio's provolone)
• 8 oz of ham (I used Primo Taglio's black forest ham)
• 3 oz of prosciutto (I used Primo Taglio's prosciutto)
• 1/2 of a small red onion, peeled & thinly sliced into rounds
• Pickled banana peppers or pepperoncini peppers (sliced or whole), to taste
• 2 cups of arugula (or your favorite baby greens)

For The Olive Tapenade (makes 1 1/2 cups):

• 1 cup of pitted green olives (I used jarred Castelvetrano olives)
• 1 cup of pitted black olives (I used jarred Kalamata olives)
• 4 tablespoons of brine from the olive jars
• 4 tablespoons of homemade red wine vinaigrette
• 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large clove of garlic, peeled and minced
• 1/2 teaspoon of capers, drained

Instructions:

1. Combine the ingredients for the olive tapenade in a blender or food processor and pulse a few times until a rough paste is formed.
2. Slice the bread in half horizontally. Drizzle the inside of each half with 1 tablespoon of olive oil then spread on the olive tapenade.
3. Layer your ingredients on both sides starting with the meat & cheeses - all thinly sliced (salami, provolone, ham, Proscuitto) and ending with the red onions, peppers, and arugula.
4. Carefully place the top side over the bottom, then wrap the whole sandwich loaf tightly with several layers of plastic wrap.
5. Set the sandwich in the refrigerator, cover with a flat object (like a plate, small cutting board, or square baking dish), and place something heavy on top to weigh it down. (Ex: cast-iron skillet, a jug of milk, hand weight, big jars of sauerkraut, etc.) Store in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours (that's what I do) or up to overnight.
6. When you're ready to eat, remove the plastic, trim off the edges to form a square and slice the sandwich into 8 equal-sized pieces.
7. If desired, top with toothpicks garnished with whole pickled peppers and/or olives.

Notes:

For Picnics & Day Trips: Wrap each sandwich with a strip of parchment paper or wax paper and tie a small length of hemp cord or baker's twine over the paper to secure it. Place the sandwich slices in a container with a tight-fitting lid to keep the bread fresh. Use a smaller container so the sandwiches fit snugly and don't get tossed around during transport. If you won't be eating them within an hour or so, place the sandwiches in a cooler full of ice (make sure no water can seep in) to keep them cold.

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