Sunday, August 3, 2008

Mozzarella & Pepper Cooler-Pressed Sandwiches


I made these for our picnic yesterday and they were a big hit. Easy to transport with the added bonus of not getting soggy. I made these the night before so the juices had time to settle and they were perfectly flavoured for the next day's lunch. Cut into individual sized pieces when ready to serve.

Ingredients & Preparation: (Original recipe from epicurious, Cookie July 2007)
Serves 4
  • 1 (5-ounce) jar roasted red bell peppers, drained and roughly chopped
  • 1 pinch hot-pepper flakes
  • 1 tablespoon roughly chopped Italian parsley, or 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
  • 1 (6-ounce) container bocconcini in oil (or 3/4 cup fresh mozzarella in oil, torn into pieces), undrained
  • 1/2 thin 18-inch baguette, sliced lengthwise
  • optional: 2-3 tbsp olive oil (if your bocconcini is in brine like mine was, add extra olive oil for flavour and not a lot of the brine)

In a medium bowl, combine the first four ingredients (including some of the bocconcini or mozzarella marinade). Fill the baguette with the mixture. Close the baguette and wrap it tightly in waxed paper, then in aluminum foil or saran wrap. Place the sandwich at the bottom of the cooler so the weight of the other contents compresses the sandwich and allows the juices to soak into the bread.

1 comment:

What's Cookin Chicago said...

How good does that look! Great technique in placing them at the bottom of a cooler. It kind of reminds me of a muffelatta sandwich!