Condo Hotel Cooking: Italian Pressed Sandwiches

I made this sandwich a few months ago for a winery trip with friends. It was a hit. Beyond a hit. In fact, I think it may have saved us (well, me) from a “hangry” episode. In case you haven’t heard the term, being “hangry” is when you’re hunger leads way to anger and you become, well… less fun to be around!

We were on our 3^rd or 4^th winery and had started early in the day, just after breakfast. As we arrived at this next destination we were more anxious to use the facilities and find food than we were in more samples. (Who am I kidding, bring on the wine tasting!)

As my husband and I waited for our group to gather again, we reached into our bag and brought out this miraculous sandwich. It gained attention. Lots of attention. “Where do I buy one of these?” “Can I have some?” “That looks delicious!”

So we cut our sandwich into little portions and shared it amongst our group of friends. Smiles returned and energy was renewed! After our impromptu picnic, we were revived and ready for the next tour and tasting.

Since the winery trip, I’ve also made this sandwich for float trips, boat outings, weekend getaways, and any other opportunity I have. It travels well and always pleases. So today I’ve decided to share my Italian Pressed Sandwiches with our Condo Hotel fans!

When staying in one of our condos, you will have all the comforts of home. Which means you’ll be equipped with the tools to prepare meals, snacks, and “hanger-prevention” sandwiches! Just a little bit of prep work is sure to keep your group happy, whether you’re relaxing at Barefoot Beach or have a full day planned touring the Las Vegas Strip.

What you’ll need:

• One large loaf of ciabatta or a pack of ciabatta rolls - sliced lengthwise
• Basil Pesto – homemade or store bought, I used half a jar of store bought pesto
• Prosciutto – I had two 3 oz packages which was more than enough
• Salami – get the good stuff, I used 4oz of Romano peppered salami from my deli’s gourmet section
• Mozzarella cheese – about 8 slices
• Provolone cheese – about 8 slices
• Roasted Red Peppers – one jar
• Plastic wrap and/or zip lock bags          

These ingredients aren’t set in stone. You can used more or less of whatever you’d like. I used red peppers for an extra kick this time. But I’ve also thought you could substitute the meat for eggplant or portabellas to make a yummy vegetarian version.

My mom has also made these sandwiches and recommends using individual ciabatta rolls. They fit nicely in smaller hotel refrigerators and can be individually wrapped for perfect-portion sizes that easily fit in a cooler or a tote bag.

Using a large bread knife, slice your bread loaf (or rolls) in half lengthwise.

Add a generous layer of pesto.

Layer on your prosciutto, then the salami.

Next is cheese. And more cheese.

Top it off with some roasted red peppers.

And voila! Your sandwich is now ready to be wrapped and pressed.

The pressing is the fun part about this sandwich. You can press it for about 4 hours and that will be fine. However, I usually make my sandwich a day ahead and let it press overnight.

My kitchen fridge was too full for such a mighty sandwich, so I had to find space in the “beer fridge” in our garage. You could stack books and weights on the sandwich for pressing; or you could use the beer that’s already in the fridge!

After the pressing is complete, remove your sandwich from the wrap, cut into shareable squares and enjoy.

Happy Travels,

Anna Adams

Condo Hotel Marketplace