During both of my pregnancies, I craved deli sandwiches. As in all I wanted to eat was fresh baked bread piled high with meat and cheese, which made sandwiches all I could think about. My doctor recommended that I not eat deli meat that hadn’t been throughly heated while pregnant so I was not able to enjoy the type of sandwiches that I was craving. What is it about not being able to eat something that makes you want it even more?
I was frying ham so that I could enjoy a sandwich at home but it just wasn’t the same. I was longing for a cold cut! On our way home from the hospital, after I had Bennett, we stopped at Jimmy John’s so that I could finally enjoy the sandwich I had been craving.
The weird thing is, the craving never went away. Bennett is now 18 months old and I could still eat deli sandwiches at least 3 times a week. I’m not sure why but a sandwich at home seems boring. When a similar sandwich is made at a deli with endless options for bread, meat, cheese and toppings a sandwich seems much more appealing. We’ll disregard the fact that my favorite sandwiches are typically meat and cheese only with no extra veggies. Maybe part of the appeal is that I don’t have to do any meal prep!
The one delicious sandwich that I have perfected at home is the Muffaletta. It’s a simple sandwich to make but it feels extra special due to bakery bread and an olive spread. I use a combination of meats that my family likes but you could easily substitute your favorite deli meat for any listed below. Add a side of chips and you can enjoy a deli style lunch at home.
ingredients
½ cup green olives
½ cup black olives
4 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 loaf chibatta (or your favorite bakery bread)
Sliced Provolone cheese
Ham
Pepperoni
Salami
instructions
- To make the olive spread, combine olives, garlic and olive oil in a food processor and pulse until olives and garlic are minced.
- Cut bread in half horizontally.
- Spread olive mixture on both sides of the bread.
- Top with sliced provolone, salami, ham and pepperoni.
- Put both halves of bread bake together and cut into 4 equal sandwiches