Italian meats and cheeses are layered with pesto and fresh basil, then wrapped and pressed in these flavorful sandwiches that are perfect for picnics and parties.
It’s picnic weather somewhere, right? Because I have been anxiously waiting to share these Pressed Italian Sandwiches with you.
Not that you should wait for a picnic to make them, because they are pretty much my favorite sandwich ever.
They just happen to be the perfect picnic sandwich, since they’re loaded with meat and cheese, and everything is squeezed into a neat, compact package. And there’s no mayonnaise, so you don’t have to worry if you’re sandwiches is out of the refrigerator for a little while.
I’ve also served these sandwiches at parties and buffets and they’re always a huge hit. The best part is, they need to be made the ahead, which leaves you free for other things when you’re hosting guests.
These sandwiches keep well for 3-5 days in the refrigerator, maybe even longer, and the leftovers are great for packing in lunches. My boys love it when there are extra sandwich servings to pack in their school lunches.
In fact, my boys love these sandwiches so much, we served them for my oldest son’s graduation party. They were a huge hit, and I loved that I could get them ready a few days ahead of time.
You can use any kind of Italian cold cuts and sliced cheeses you like in the recipe. Our favorites are salami, pepperoni, soppressata and provolone cheese.
If I’m serving a crowd, I usually make two slightly different versions. The possibilities are endless, so have fun with it!
Be sure to save this Pressed Italian Sandwiches recipe to your favorite Pinterest board for later.
Here’s what you’ll need to make Pressed Italian Sandwiches
- Ciabatta
- Pesto
- Italian deli meats (salami, pepperoni, etc.)
- Provolone cheese
- Spinach, basil or other greens
- Optional toppings
Pressed Italian Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 1 ciabatta loaf
- 1/4-1/2 cup prepared basil pesto
- 1/2 pound sliced Italian cold cuts salami, pepperoni, sopressata, mortadella, capocolla, prosciutto, etc.
- 1/2 pound sliced Provolone cheese
- 1 cup fresh spinach arugula or basil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Optional toppings:
- Finely chopped olives black or green
- Roasted red peppers
- Sun dried tomatoes
- Roasted garlic
Instructions
- Slice ciabatta loaf in half horizontally.
- Spread desired amount of pesto over the bottom half of the bread. Don’ t over-saturate the bread.
- Layer the Italian meats over the pesto. Top with the sliced cheese. Layer the spinach, basil or other greens over the cheese.
- Optional toppings can be added to either the top or the bottom of the sandwich.
- Place the top half of the loaf over the sandwich fillings.
- Wrap the sandwich thoroughly with plastic wrap. Place a heavy cutting board or other flat object on top of sandwich and weight it down with a 2- to 4-lb. weight (such as a cast iron skillet or six-pack of soda).
- Let the sandwich sit for at least 6 hours, but preferably over night. Unwrap, cut into 8 pieces and serve.
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Nutrition
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Who Dished It Up First: Adapted from Sunset Magazine.
14 comments
Emily
If I made these a thursday night, would they be ok to eat on a sunday night? Being kept in the refrigerator of course.
Danelle
That should work fine.
Jill
Have you ever tried to freeze them? I’m curious if they would be as good. Great idea & cant wait to try!
Danelle
I haven’t…..I don’t know that it would work well, but if you try it, I’d love to know how it goes.
Terry
Made these on a Thursday night for an early Saturday afternoon baby shower. It gave me plenty of time to make other finger foods on Friday as well as decorate. The only thing I had to do Saturday morning was pick up the special cupcakes and set up the drink stations. Back to the sandwiches – they were a hit. I even got a thumbs up from a picky eater and got asked if I cater parties. Uh, no but I might reconsider for small parties. What I loved about the sandwich besides the great infused taste was that it lends itself to prepare ahead of time. My entire menu came from Pinterest recipes. I forgot to take pictures of the sandwiches but I will definitely make again. This was a homer in.
Danelle
Thank you!
3xLucky
I Made these for a late night snack for my card club. They loved them so much. I accidentally made too many and my family ate them for three days. And they were still yummy. Definitely give these a try. Thank you for sharing the recipe
Danelle
Thank you! Glad everyone enjoyed them.
Dara
Super excited to try these out this week! I’m hoping my little one will eat them. He’s a picky one but since he eats Italian BMT from Subway, I thought we could give it a go
FoodFlav
That is so awesome Brittany! Thank you so much for sharing 🙂
Julie Blanner
Cannot wait to share these at my next gathering. They look delicious, thanks for the recipe!
Coordinately Yours,
Julie
Gina
I am so excited for picnic weather. I think we had our last hurrah for snow here this weekend. Slammed with snow this weekend & then expecting 50’s by the end of the week. Yay!!
Will definitely be making these- looks SO GOOD!!!! Hope you have a wonderful week my friend!
Theresa H. Roach
Yum! Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe:) Have a blessed day, HUGS!
Cindy Harris
It is not quite picnic weather in Utah but this sandwich looks delish! I have always wanted to make on ot these sandwiches. Looks like the perfect recipe. Have a great week.