Overnight Italian Sandwiches
6 small Ciabatta rolls (I used a flat Ciabatta loaf and made one big sandwich)
2-3 tablespoons butter
3 red bell peppers
Baby arugula
Fresh mozzarella, sliced
Assorted Italian Meats (I used Sweet Capocolla, Hot Capocolla, Genoa Salami, and Prosciutto)
Assorted Deli Meats (I used Black forest ham and oven roasted turkey breast)
Balsamic reduction
Garlic Oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Garlic Oil
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
In a small bowl, combine olive oil and minced garlic. Set aside
Balsamic Reduction
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
In a small saucepan bring vinegar to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until vinegar hasthickened and is syrupy. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
To roast the red peppers: Set oven to the Broil setting. Trim the ends off of the bell peppers and then cut down the sides of the peppers. Place peppers skin side up on a baking sheet. Place under the broiler until well charred (black) on top, about 10 minutes (watch closely after 5 minutes). Remove from oven and immediately place peppers in a plastic Ziploc bag and seal. Let sit for 20-30 minutes or until pepper are cool enough to handle. Remove peppers from bag and peel off charred skin. Discard charred skin and drizzle peppers with olive oil followed by a good sprinkle of kosher salt and pepper. Set aside.
To prepare sandwiches: Cut the Ciabatta rolls (or loaf) in half and butter both halves of the bread followed by a thin layer of the garlic oil (I use a silicon pastry brush to brush on the oil). (Make sure you don't leave the minced garlic behind.) Place a layer of red peppers on bottom half of the bread. Top with generous layers of cold meats (5-6 layers). Next, layer fresh mozzarella slices on top of meat followed by a drizzle of the reduced balsamic vinegar and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Top with a generous amount of arugula. Top sandwich with top half of bread and wrap sandwich tightly with plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator and place a heavy skillet on top of sandwiches (I set two gallons of milk on top of my one big sandwich).
Refrigerate for at least 6 hours or ideally, overnight. When ready to serve, remove sandwich from plastic wrap and in my case, cut large sandwich into smaller sandwiches. Serve. (I served some of the extra balsamic reduction on the side for dipping, yum!)
Recipe slightly adapted from Seasons and Suppers
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