A Quick Dinner: Italian Sandwich Ideas
It is that day. The holidays are over and it is back to work. If only we could have a few more days of snuggling in bed a little longer, lazing around with family, and keeping things easy. On a day like this I find even a simple blog post about a few sandwich ideas difficult to pull off. What can I say, I had a good holiday. I don’t want us to have to return to school and work. No, the return to work to see friends and colleagues isn’t all bad. Swapping holiday stories at the water cooler is good for catching up and having a laugh, but it is not the same as making sweet rolls together as a family. It is not as fun as shopping for our New Year’s Eve meal and staying up late together or having extra time to do some art projects. On a day like this, getting dinner on the table feels daunting. This, of all days, has sandwich ideas written all over it.
For me, when sandwich ideas are needed, especially after a long holiday, I default to thinking about Italian sandwiches. This simply means using Italian ingredients sandwiched nicely on ciabatta bread. They are simple and delicious and there are many cold sandwich options. On the first day back from the holidays, I don’t want to turn on the oven. At most, I just want to heat up some soup. If I have the gumption, I might make soup, but stopping at the deli and picking up some nice chicken soup is never out of the realm of possibility. It is also a chance to pick up some already grilled vegetables, ready made pestos, Italian meats and even olives which can be used to fulfill a great variety of Italian sandwich ideas. Grilled eggplant, peppers and zucchini are great foundations for a sandwich, as are oil packed, sun dried tomatoes and jarred artichoke hearts.
When it come to meat and cheeses, a nice ham, spicy salami or mortadella are sure to please. And really, when has a nice thick slice of mozzarella cheese hurt a sandwich? For something bolder, some shaved Pecorino Romano will certainly do the trick and bring any sandwiches up a few notches.
And the bread? Ciabatta of course. This is easy to find and it is perfect for a sandwich. When I am having a sandwich night, I make a few different sandwiches and cut them into small pieces so everyone can try each one. If you want to go the extra mile, serve it with a nice quinoa salad.
Here are few sandwich ideas to help with dinner.
Sandwich Idea 1: The Classic Caprese
Sandwich Idea 2: The Ham and Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto
Sandwich Idea 3: The Pecorino and Zucchini
Sandwich Idea 4: The Italian Whopper
I hope you enjoy and I hope your return to work and school have been smooth!
Keep Eating! Keep Innovating!
Do you have any sandwich ideas to share? Let us know all about it in the comments or on Facebook.
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