It’s Labor Day week How are you celebrating the last long weekend of summer? School already started for our family but not for all of my children. One last child starts school after Labor Day so we’re living the weekend up with as many summer things as we can think of before our weekends are full of football games and kid activities. Assuming the weather holds up, we’ll probably even take the boat out! This sandwich is the perfect solution for the weekend. It’s great on a picnic (which is why I named it that) but also great on the boat, in the park, on a drive, at the beach or just something you can make in the morning and have done in the afternoon.

Enjoy your last week of summer! Let’s live it up.

Picnic Sandwiches

Serves 4

1 large loaf crusty bread

8 ounces fresh mozzarella

1 pound fresh sliced salami

1 large bunch basil leaves

1 jar roasted bell peppers in oil

1 large bunch arugula

1 cucumber, thinly sliced

2 cups green olives, roughly chopped

olive oil

salt and pepper

STEP 1

Slice the top off of the loaf of bread.  With a spoon, hollow out as much of the inside of the bread as is possible.  Brush the inside of the bread with olive oil

STEP 2

Layer each ingredient in a single layer on top of each other.  Continue stacking ingredients until the loaf of bread is full. 

STEP 3

Replace the top on the bread and press down with something heavy.  Let rest for at least 10 minutes.  Serve with potato chips.

---

This time of year we are racing from one baseball game to another meeting to something else and next thing you know, you’re scrambling for dinner at 9pm and everyone eats cereal. This sandwich is a fab solution. All you need is about 30 minutes BEFORE everything starts. Then wrap it up and take it with you to the baseball game. You’ll look like a rock star. You’ll be fed and happy. And - most importantly - you won’t have to have cereal again tonight.

Steak Sandwich with Caramelized Onions

Serves 4

2 lbs flank steak

2 red onions, sliced

2 tbs red wine vinegar

2 cups spinach

16 oz ricotta cheese

¼ cup parsley, chopped

¼ cup fresh thyme, chopped

2 tbs chives, chopped

2 tbs olive oil

¼ cup butter

5 cloves garlic

1 loaf crusty bread

STEP 1

Preheat broiler to 500 degrees.  Cut bread in half and toast in the oven, quickly, until golden brown.  Rub each side of the toasted bread with a clove of garlic.  Set aside.

STEP 2

Grate the remaining cloves of garlic onto the top of the steak and rub over the top evenly.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place steak in the oven and cook 5 minutes.  Flip steak over and cook an additional 2-3 minutes until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.  Remove from oven and let rest 10 minutes.

STEP 3

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat and slowly cook onions with red wine vinegar until tender and lightly browned. 

STEP 4

In a small bowl, mix together ricotta, herbs, and olive oil.  Spread over each side of the bread.

STEP 5

Pile spinach on top of one side of the bread.  Slice steak and lay on top of spinach.  Add the onions to the top and cover with the other side of the bread loaf. 

---

I love corned beef. But I never love corned beef more than when you put it between two slices of rye bread smeared with thousand island dressing, oozing with cheese and piled high with sliced corned beef. A reuben sandwich is my favorite. Take me to a dive bar that serves a greasy reuben and I’m in heaven. It’s literally the best thing ever.

This time of year, a reuben sandwich is the perfect way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, but also not feel stressed out by the cooking portion of eating. Deli sliced corned beef is perfect - unless you make a giant slab of corned beef and you have leftovers, then leftovers are dreamy here.

Reuben Sandwich

Serves 4

1 lb sliced pastrami 

8 slices rye bread

2 tbs butter

2 tbs Dijon mustard

1 cup Sauerkraut

8 slices Swiss cheese

½ cup mayonnaise

¼ cup ketchup

2 tbs lemon juice

STEP 1

Combine together mayonnaise, ketchup, and lemon juice.  Let rest.

STEP 2

Butter one side of each piece of bread.  Spread the other side with Dijon mustard.  

STEP 3

Layer a slice of cheese on top of four slices of bread (on top of the Dijon).  Add pastrami equally divided amongst sandwiches.

STEP 4

Top pastrami with sauerkraut and another slice of cheese.  

STEP 5

Top cheese with remaining slices of bread and toast the sandwiches over medium heat in a skillet.  

STEP 6

Slice and serve with homemade Thousand Island dipping sauce.

---

I know I’m not the only one who has three kids on three separate baseball teams who all play all week long. IT makes dinner a real task because the kids have to be at the field around 5pm and don’t get home until 8:30pm. When you feed the kids at 4:30 and then they play for three hours, they are starving again. And Mr. Hedin and I watch from the sidelines starving.

A few seasons ago I discovered that if I make this sandwich at 4pm (make extra bacon and the kids can eat bacon and eggs at 4:30 which they LOVE) and pack it in a picnic basket with a bag of chips and a flask of vodka, we all win.

The great part about this sandwich is that it’s super simple to pull together and tastes AMAZING. It also needs to sit a little bit to really taste the best so making it at 4 is actually a good thing.

THE ULTIMATE BLT

serves 4

STEP 1

In a medium hot skillet, cook the bacon until crispy.

STEP 2

In the blender, whip together the avocado with milk, olive oil, and mayonnaise.  Add herbs and mix one more time.

STEP 3

Scoop out the interior of the bread to reveal an open center.  Smear the avocado mixture on both sides of the bread.

STEP 4

Layer lettuce on top of the avocado spread.  Top lettuce with tomato, top tomato with 3 strips of bacon.  Repeat the layers starting with lettuce two more times.

STEP 5

Smear the remaining avocado spread on the top of the loaf and cap off the sandwich.  Press down with a cutting board and something heavy or just your own pressure for a few minutes.  

STEP 6

Slice the loaf and serve.

1 loaf ciabatta bread

12 strips of bacon

6 large tomatoes

1 head butter lettuce

12 slices provolone cheese

1 avocados

½ cup mayonnaise

2 tbs milk

2 tbs olive oil

¼ cup basil

1 tbs thyme

---