Tailgatin' Pressed Sandwich Bites

Pressed Sub Sandwich Bites... Perfect for Tailgatin'

My Alabama Crimson Tide did it AGAIN last night, y'all!! Three National Championships in four years. I mean, that just doesn't happen easily. But, it feels oh-so-good to be apart of the University of Alabama. And what better than watching the game with some friends + some awesome tailgating food. Our menu consisted of these Pressed Sandwich Bites, Jalapeno Popper Dip, Pan-Fried Onion Dip, Cream Cheese + Homemade Pepper Jelly, Candied Bacon Wrapped Sausages, and Red Velvet Cupcakes with Whipped Cream Cheese-Pecan Frosting. We were certainly stuffed. Here is our feast from last night...

So. Much. Food.

Anyway, I had never made these Pressed Sub Sandwich Bites before, but I know I will be making them again because they are so easy to assemble and everyone loved them... especially the guys. Normally, sandwiches are so clunky and take up all your time (and the room in your fridge), but these are pressed for a whole day before, so you cut down on your prep time and cooking time during the day of the big game. These would be especially easy to make for a picnic or a tailgate on the Quad. We layered ours with our favorite Italian Sub Sandwich ingredients... lots of deli meat, smoked provolone, goat cheese, hot pepper spread, fig preserves, and marinated onions, all on some ciabatta bread. But, I think a Caprese version or even a BLT pressed sandwich would be delish as well!! I didn't have exact measurements, I just kind of loaded them up with as much as the bread would hold :) I hope y'all had some good tailgatin' food for yesterday as well, I mean it is practically a national holiday in this household. Oh, and we had a few leftover that had gotten a little stale, so I threw them in a skillet to fry in some oil, and they were mighty fine as well, but let's just keep that our dirty little secret... ROLL TIDE ROLL!! Enjoy :)

Before the big sandwich had been cut into bites...

Don't forget the fancy toothpicks, they really help for serving a big crowd :)

For the Italian Sub Sandwiches:

1 Large Loaf of Ciabatta Bread, Sliced Lengthwise

Fig Preserves or Apricot Preserves

Italian Hot Pepper Spread (we like Wickles)

Smoked Provolone Slices

Assorted Deli Meats

Goat Cheese, Room Temperature

Sweet Onion, Shaved Thinly & Tossed in Olive Oil, Vinegar, and Dried Oregano

For the Caprese Sandwiches:

1 Large Loaf of Ciabatta Bread, Sliced Lengthwise

Homemade Pesto

Fresh Buffalo Mozzarella or Sliced Mozzarella

Shaved Parmesan Cheese

Fresh Basil Leaves

Sun Dried Tomatoes or Slow Roasted Tomatoes

Balsamic Reduction, For Garnishing

Directions:

1. For the Pressed Sandwiches: Cut your loaf of Ciabatta bread in half, lengthwise. Spread on all of the condiments, and then layer all of the ingredients onto the bread. Wrap the large, assembled loaf tightly with plastic wrap, and then weigh the sandwich down with really heavy pots or pans (or even weights would work). This will help the ingredients together, helping to infuse all of the flavors together. It also creates a compact sandwich, so that when it is cut, none of the ingredients will fall out.

2. For Serving: Once your sandwich has been pressed overnight, cut away all of the plastic wrap, and then using a sharp knife, trim away all of the outside edges, and finally, into small, hand-held sandwich. I like to place a large toothpick into the sandwiches to hold them together while people are grabbing them up.

Alabama White BBQ Chicken Sandwich

Alabama White BBQ Chicken Sandwich

While I was at the University of Alabama, there were a couple restaurants that we loved. And one go-to restaurant for us was Newk's... a sandwich, salad, and pizza joint. It always had good food at affordable prices, which is a plus for college students. My favorite sandwich was the Newk's Q. This consisted of roasted chicken, crispy bacon, smoked provolone, and a classic Alabama White BBQ Sauce. It always hit the spot, especially after a night of drinking. Have y'all ever been to Newk's? And did you love it as much as we did? This would be one great sandwich for tailgating or a day of watching football!! Enjoy :)

For the Sandwich:

4 Slices of French Country Bread, Fried in Bacon Fat

Leftover Dry-Rubbed Beer Can Chicken, Sliced & Warmed

Homemade Alabama White BBQ Sauce

8 Slices of Applewood Smoked Bacon, Cooked until Crispy

4 Slices of Smoked Provolone Cheese

Red Onions, Sliced & Caramelized

Directions:

1. Fry the pieces of bread in leftover bacon fat until golden brown and crispy. Keep warm.

2. Spread some Alabama White BBQ Sauce on both slices of bread, and then top one slice of bread with a slice of smoked provolone cheese, warmed Dry-Rubbed Beer Can Chicken, crispy bacon slices, caramelized red onions, an extra drizzle of sauce, and one last slice of cheese. Stack the sandwich together and either finish cooking in a sauté pan or in the oven until the cheese has melted and the sandwich is warmed through.

3. Enjoy while warm. 

Italian Sub Sandwiches

Italian Sub Sandwiches

These are the perfect picnic sandwich y'all. I'm tellin' you. Although I am partial to hot, toasty, melty, cheesy panini-style sandwiches, this cold Italian Sub Sandwich just hit the spot for us on our anniversary. I mean, it's not class italian sub, but it has similar flavors, just kicked up a bit. First of all, it has a spicy & sweet component with a spread of fig preserves and spicy pepper relish. Then, it's perfectly salty with the different combination of deli meats. There are two cheeses... smoked provolone and goat cheese, both of which you need, trust me. Some peppery arugula and marinated onions finish it all off, and well, you have an awesome sub. This is my Mountain Man's favorite type of sandwich, so I'm surprised I haven't made it before. But, guess what, I liked it just as much as him. We probably will make it this weekend, yummy!! P.S. does everyone realize that college football starts tomorrow? We did, which means a weekly installment of tailgatin' food will be back. YAY. Enjoy :)

Layers of Prosciutto, Salami, & Chorizo.

Those are fully stacked my friends...

For the Sandwiches:

4 Slices of Bread, Toasted or Fried in Olive Oil

Fig Preserves or Apricot Preserves

Italian Hot Pepper Spread (we love the brand, Wickles Hoagie & Sub Sandwich Relish)

2 Slices of Smoked Provolone

6oz of Assorted Deli Meats (we did a combination of Prosciutto, Salami, & Chorizo)

Goat Cheese, Room Temperature

Baby Arugula

Sweet Onion, Shaved Thinly & Tossed in Olive Oil, Vinegar, & Dried Oregano

Directions:

1. Toast or fry the bread in olive oil until golden brown.   

2. Spread some preserves on one slice of bread and some hot pepper spread on another slice. Start layering the sandwiches with smoked provolone, shaved deli meat, baby arugula, marinated onions, and a good amount of softened goat cheese.   

3. Stack the sandwich together and enjoy immediately.

Mammoth Meatball Sub Sliders with Fried Mozzarella Sticks, Pepperoni Sauce, Pesto Mayo, & Smoked Provolone

Obviously by the title, the word mammoth means... MAMMOTH, like huge. It's actually an oxymoron. I mean "mammoth" & "slider" should not go in the same sentence. They completely contradict each other. But these are truly ridiculous. I placed a huge meatball onto a mini roll, and then stacked them with a slather of pesto mayo, fried mozzarella stick, homemade pepperoni sauce, and a slice of smoked provolone cheese. That was probably too much at one time, so lemme break it down for ya. The meatballs are classic and made with beef, pork, and veal, which is the perfect combination for a tender & juicy texture. Then I bought some mozzarella and cut them into blocks, breaded them in Italian Panko breadcrumbs, and fried them until golden brown & delicious. Now for the best component, the pepperoni sauce. Why would I put a classic tomato sauce, when I can put on a pepperoni sauce? Exactly... discussion ended. It's practically pureed pepperoni with a hint of tomato flavor, but it adds so much more meatier dimensions. This sauce would be good on a sandwich, pizza, or maybe chicken parmesan... so many options. And to finish it all off, I added a yummy pesto mayo and delicious smoked provolone (just in case there wasn't enough cheese for you already). These meatball sub sliders were awesome, and I'm so glad we made them for our Super Bowl party tonight. Some other recipes that I made were Candied Bacon Wrapped Smoked Sausages in a Blanket with Apricot-Mustard & Pomegranate-Ketchup, Buffalo Bleu Cheese Fritters, Beer Battered Fried Oreos with Creme Anglaise, and Gourmet Chocolate Chunk Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches. Sounds unreal right? Well it was. And who cares if we gained about a million pounds... it was totally worth it. So check back the rest of this week for those other recipes. I hope everyone is having an awesome Super Bowl Party!! Enjoy :)

Three Mammoth Meatball Sub Sliders

Dont'cha Wanna Take A Bite?!?

Up Close & Personal of Our Sliders

Mammoth Meatball Sub Sliders with Fried Mozzarella Sticks,  Pepperoni Sauce, Pesto Mayo, & Smoked Provolone

For the Meatballs:

1lb Ground Beef

½lb Ground Veal

½lb Ground Pork

4 Slices of White Bread, Crusts Removed & Made into Breadcrumbs

¼C Italian Bread Crumbs

2T Fresh Parsley, Chopped

½C Fresh Parmesan, Grated

¼t Nutmeg

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

1 Extra-Large Egg, Beaten

¾C Warm Water

Oil, For Frying

For the Fried Mozzarella:

1 8oz Package of Mozzarella Cheese, Cut into Blocks

½C AP Flour

¼C Cornstarch

2 Eggs, Beaten

¼C Milk

1 ½C Italian Panko Breadcrumbs

Oil, For Frying

Salt & Pepper, For Sprinkling

   

For the Pepperoni Sauce:

3T Olive Oil

1 Small Sweet Onion, Finely Chopped

5 Cloves of Garlic, Minced

1t Red Pepper Flakes & Fennel Seeds

1lb Pepperoni, Finely Chopped or Sliced

8oz of San Marzano Plum Tomatoes, Chopped

1 ½C Chicken Stock

1 Fresh Bay Leaf

For the Pesto Mayo:

2T Pesto

2T Mayo

1t Fresh Basil, Minced

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For the Sandwiches:

Small Hawaiian Bread Rolls, Buttered & Toasted

Fried Meatballs, Whole or Sliced in Half

Prepared Pepperoni Sauce

Prepared Pesto Mayo

Fried Mozzarella

Slices of Smoked Provolone

Directions:

1. To Make the Pepperoni Sauce: Heat olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Once hot, sauté the onions until tender, about 2 minutes, and then add the garlic, red pepper flakes, and fennel seeds, and cook for 2 minutes. Add in the chopped pepperoni and let it sweat for 2-3 minutes on low. Add in the tomatoes and chicken stock, and cook the mixture for 45 minutes or until the pepperoni gets soft and moist. After softening, puree the mixture until a smooth sauce is formed. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Set it aside until ready to use on the sandwich.
2. To Make the Pesto Mayo: In a small bowl, combine all of the ingredients until incorporated. Refrigerate until ready to use.
3. To Make the Meatballs: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the ground meats, both bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, seasonings, egg, and warm water into a bowl. Combine very lightly with a fork. Using your hands, lightly form the mixture into 10-12 large meatballs. In a deep skillet, heat your oil to medium heat. In batches, cool the meatballs and brown them well on all sides, roughly 10 minutes. Remove the cooked meatballs to a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes or until cooked through. Set them aside until ready to stack on the sandwich.
4. To Make the Fried Mozzarella: In a deep fryer, heat the oil to 365 degrees. Meanwhile, set up a battering station. I use 3 pie tins. For the first station, I mix the flour and cornstarch. For the second station, I whisk together the eggs and milk. For the third station, pour the contents of one box of Panko breadcrumbs. Now, place the blocks of mozzarella into the flour mixture, then into the egg wash, and finally the panko (making sure they are completely covered). Put the breaded slices on a tin foil-lined baking sheet with a cooling rack on top, and then put the pan into the refrigerator and let the cheese rest for about 15-30 minutes. In a medium sauté pan, heat about 2 inches of olive oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil has heated, fry the breaded mozzarella for about 1-2 minutes on each side, or until they are golden brown and crispy. Remove the fried cheese to a paper towel-lined plate to drain and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Immediately layer them onto the sandwich.
5. To Assemble the Sandwiches: Spread the toasted slider buns with the pesto mayo. On top of the pesto mayo, lay down the fried mozzarella medallions in an even layer. Spoon on a layer of the pepperoni sauce and top that with the meatball halves. Add more pepperoni sauce on top, so that there is a thick layer. Lay slices of smoked provolone cheese on top of the sauced meatballs and place onto a baking sheet. Broil the sandwich until the provolone is just melted & slightly toasted.
6. Enjoy while the sliders are still hot!

source: pepperoni sauce. classic meatballs.

Chicken Caesar Salad Pizza

Wanna know something I am loving right now? Pizza + Salad. Together. It's delicious. We discovered this trend at Mellow Mushroom the other weekend, and we loved it. Now, I can't stop thinking of all the combinations that I want to make... cobb salad pizza, thai chopped salad pizza, and so many more. Basically it's a hot pizza with a cold, tossed salad on top. So for my Chicken Caesar Salad Pizza, I topped some dough with pesto, lots of cheese, roasted chicken, crispy pancetta, and sun dried tomatoes. Then, I piled on a salad of romaine lettuce that is dressed with homemade caesar dressing, and finally garnished it with some freshly shaved parmesan. It was absolutely wonderful. So hearty, yet you feel somewhat better because there's a salad on top. I mean instantly, it's healthy because that's involved, right? Right. That's how Southerners think anyway!! Enjoy :)

The Cold Salad Topping: Romaine Lettuce Tossed in Homemade Caesar Dressing & Fresh Parmesan

The Hot Pizza Base with Pesto, Cheese, Roasted Chicken, Pancetta, & Sun Dried Tomatoes

Chicken Caesar Salad Pizza

For the Pizza:

1 Pizza Dough

Homemade Pesto

2C Mozzarella Cheese, Shredded

1C Provolone, Shredded

¼C Parmesan, Grated

Roasted Chicken, Sliced

Crispy Pancetta, Crumbled

Sun Dried Tomatoes, Julienned

For the Homemade Caesar Dressing:

1T Garlic, Minced

2T Fresh Parsley, Minced

2t Anchovy Paste

1t Dijon Mustard

2T Lemon Juice

½C Mayo

¼C Sour Cream

¼C Parmesan, Grated

  

For the Caesar Salad Topping:

1 Head of Romaine Lettuce, Roughly Chopped

Prepared Caesar Dressing

Shaved Parmesan

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

Directions:

1. For the Homemade Caesar Dressing: Add all of the ingredients into a bowl and whisk until smooth and incorporated. Set it aside.
2. For the Pizza: Preheat the oven to 475 degrees and arrange the rack in the bottom half of the oven. Roll out the pizza dough until very thin on a pizza pan. Spread a thin layer of homemade pesto. Top with shredded mozzarella & provolone, grated Parmesan, sliced roasted chicken, crispy pancetta, and sun dried tomatoes. Bake the pizza for 10-15 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly.
3. While the pizza is baking, toss the romaine lettuce with the prepared Caesar dressing until coated.
4. Remove the pizza from the oven and top it with the tossed salad. Garnish the top with shaved Parmesan.
5. Cut into slices and serve immediately.

Greek Isles Panini

Like I said yesterday, we had some left over greek chicken, feta cheese, & tzatziki sauce, so we made some greek paninis. I mean you can't really get more greek than marinated chicken, feta, tzatziki, roasted red pepper, red onions, and hummus. The only thing they we chose to leave out was olives, and well that's because we just hate olives. So feel free to add those if you like them. I also decided to put provolone on the sandwich because feta just doesn't melt the way you want it on a grilled cheese. So I figured I would add a mild cheese to achieve that "goo" factor. The paninis were really good, and it's so nice when you can repurpose a dinner into a lunch the next day, so that no ingredients go to waste.

Look at that Melty Cheese 

Lots of Crunchy Veggies 

Greek Isles Panini

For the Panini:

2 Slices of Rustic Bread

2T Olive Oil

4T Homemade Tzatziki

¼C Crumbled Feta

2 Marinated Greek Chicken Thighs, Sliced Thinly & Warmed Slightly

2T Greek Hummus

1 Marinated Roasted Red Pepper, Split in Half

4 Red Onion Rings

2 Slices of Provolone

Directions:

1. Heat up your Panini press, electric grill, or a skillet to high heat.

2. To Assemble the Sandwich: Spread 2T of the homemade tzatzki sauce on each slice of bread, then designate one slice of bread to be the bottom piece. Sprinkle the crumbled feta on top of the bottom slice of bread, then layer on the sliced Greek Chicken. Slather with the hummus and top with the red peppers & red onions. Lay the slices of provolone on top of the onions (this will help keep all of the fillings from falling out). Top with the other slice of bread and brush on 1T of olive oil on each outside of the bread slices.

3. Grill or fry the sandwich for 2-3 minutes on each side until the bread is perfectly golden brown and extremely crunchy, while also making sure that all of the ingredients inside are warmed thoroughly and the cheeses are melted.

4. Cut into halves and serve immediately.

French Onion Soup Stuffed Mushrooms

I really think I could be a vegetarian... honestly. I love nothing more than to just have a big plate of grilled veggies. I love all veggies like zucchini, carrots, eggplant, broccoli, onion, and especially mushrooms because they have such a meaty texture, which makes you feel like you're actually eating a meat dish when you're not. I saw some big mushroom caps at the grocery store, and I thought why not make some stuffed mushrooms. I stuffed these mushrooms with caramelized onions that are reduced in a beef broth-wine mixture, then topped them with some gruyere cheese. These would be perfect for a party or even as a vegetarian meal.

French Onion Soup Stuffed Mushrooms

For the Stuffed Mushrooms:

2T Butter

1 Large Vidalia Onion, Halved & Sliced Thick

¼C Beef Broth (or Vegetable Stock)

1t Worcestershire

1 Splash of White Wine

½C Gruyere Cheese, Grated

6 Large White Mushroom Caps, Washed & Stemmed

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

Chopped Parsley, For Garnish

Directions:
1. In a medium skillet, melt 1T of butter over medium heat. Add onions and sauté for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until very soft. Splash in the white wine, beef broth, and Worcestershire. Then, cook the onion for another 5 minutes or until the liquid is cooked down. Set aside.
2. Melt 1T of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Throw in the mushrooms and toss around for a couple minutes, just to start the cooking process. Sprinkle the mushrooms with salt.
3. Please the mushroom caps face down in a cupcake tin. Place a heaping spoonful of the caramelized onions, then top with the shredded gruyere cheese. Bake for 10 minutes at 325 to finish the cooking process. Then turn on the broiler and broil the tops of the mushrooms for a couple minutes or until golden brown.
4. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve immediately.

source: the pioneer woman