This weekend I’m having a family get together at our home. Two days ago the AC was on here in Ohio. Right now, it’s 45 degrees outside! Talked to sis in law and we’re going to have fall food.
She volunteered to make broccoli soup. So I thought since this is a mid day meal - like 2pm Sunday - we’d do soup, hot sandwich, salad and dessert.
I’m not generally a big sandwich person but I’m not cooking for me I’m cooking for this crowd. Off the bat I prefer NOT to order subs so that idea is out. I know I’ve seen some of those recipes where you line a sheet pan with buns of various sorts (sometimes those Hawaiian (?) buns) fill them with various sandwich toppings and break off when done in small sandwich sized servings. Have you tried these?
So I’m looking for some tried and true recipe like that - or perhaps something where I take a good loaf of bread, slice it down the middle and fill and bake.
Nothing fancy, think football watching food. No sloppy joes. No pulled pork.
For this type of gathering I’ve pulled out a griddle and grilled a hodgepodge of sandwiches, cut them in quarters and served. I use rye, wheat and white bread and then used a mix of meats and cheeses (meaning several different meats with different cheeses in each sandwich) and it’s very well received, i.e., can you do that sandwich thing again?
Meatball subs, perhaps? You could keep the sauce and meatballs warm in a crockpot. Always a hit at my house with homemade meatballs, never store bought.
Meatballs sound great but my mom is making pasta and meatballs the night before for some of the same group.
I have a press (admittedly rarely use it - see above, don’t eat many sandwiches!) but don’t think I want to go the route of making individual sandwiches for this get together.
Not technically a sandwich, but another thought is making strombolis, especially stuffed with Italian cold cuts and cheese. You can assemble ahead of time than bake and slice when you need it.
I’ve done this for a teacher’s lunch:
Buy Trader Joe’s pre-roasted veggies (eggplant, zucchini, peppers, etc.) and a loaf of italian or french bread
Split the loaf, brush some olive oil on the bread, layer on the veggies and add some provolone
Top with the bread. Wrap the whole thing in foil and bake at 425.
I put the sandwich on a baking sheet and then top with another baking sheet that I weight down with bricks or a cast iron pan.
When the cheese is melted and bread is toasted, take it out and then just before serving, unwrap and slice.
If you want meat, you could add some premade chicken cutlets.
During ski season I often find myself needing to feed people and dont’ want to be a short order cook making up individual sandwiches so I’ve made the Hawaiian roll ham and swiss and I’ve made the Hawaiian roll chicken sliders and they do work great as a soup side and for making a bunch of hot sandwiches all at once. I like Capicola ham just because it has some bite to it. I put the bottom of the buns in a big casserole dish, top the bottom bun with ham, swiss and sometimes I put alittle coleslaw on top of the cheese for crunch or tomato or whatever catches my fancy and then I put the bun tops on. Over that I pour a sauce. I make the sauce by sauteing very finely minced onion and garlic and then adding the rest of the stick of butter, 3 big squirts of prepared mustard (maybe 2-3 TBL), Worcestershire sauce (maybe a couple tsp) and a palm size amount of poppy seeds and pour that over the top of the sandwiches and bake.
Another easy crowd sandwich I make is a crockpot Italian beef. It’s another easy and very common recipe but has a good taste and is safe for those who might be too horrified at the Hawaiian bun recipe. I put a 3-4 lb chuck roast in a crockpot with 2 large onions quartered and a jar of pepperocini . I cut the ends off the pepperocini but leave them whole and I save the pepperocini juice for later. I add 3 very generous tablespoons of Italian seasoning and a dollop of mined garlic along with a cup or two of water and leave the crock pot going all day (or overnight if you’re planning a lunch). After 6 or more hours, I shred up the beef , put it back in the crockpot and then add the pepperocini juice and two packets of that dried mushroom gravy. Sounds horrible I know, and my husband almost had apoplexy when he saw dried gravy but it works. If you cann’t stomach buying dried gravy packets you could use mushrooms and some thickener I’m sure. Let it simmer until ready to serve on hard rolls. The extra juice can be used as an au jus and I generally have deli thin sliced Provolone available for those that want cheese on their sandwich.
@momofthreeboys , wow that Italian beef sounds flavorful! The pepperocini takes it out of the game for this crowd (though I think it sounds delicious!).
We combine a couple of ideas mentioned here. Sauté bell peppers, onions, and mushrooms in a skillet, then set aside.
In another skillet, heat the shredded beef (cooked the day before) in a little beef broth and Worcestershire sauce until hot.
Split an Italian loaf down the center and place on a baking sheet. Layer on the beef, veggies, and top with your favorite cheese. Put in oven (open face) at 425 degrees and cook until it starts to brown. Remove, put the 2 bread halves together, and slice.
@abasket…I have made the ham and cheese Hawaiian rolls. Easy peasy…and really good. Just remember to slice whole package in half (take top off), layer ingredients and put top back on before baking. Also…shredded swiss was what I used in recipe. I did find that the poppyseed/butter was too much…only used about half.
Can’t find original recipe, but this one is very close…
At one time, I made Cuban sandwiches with the Hawaiian rollls (very good), but can’t find that recipe right now.
And also improvised a version or Rueben’s. I loved…but not everyone likes sauerkraut.
How about homemade calzone? My family loves the traditional ricotta cheese calzone and you can also vary the filling. My mom’s traditional was prosciutto and salami but I have also done spinach and ricotta.
For a very easy French Dip (the sandwiches can be made ahead of time and wrapped individually), put thinly sliced roast beef (I usually use leftover eye of the round but deli roast beef works great) on a Portuguese bun, top with provolone or Swiss cheese and wrap in foil. You can put a little butter on the outside of the roll for extra flavor/crunch. Bake at 400* for 7-10 minutes (tap the bun to make sure it’s crunchy).
For the “au jus”, I serve Lipton Beefy Onion Soup mix (I know it’s salty, but you’re not eating an entire bowl of it!).
Meatloaf (like Market Street Meatloaf from one of the Silver Palate books) sandwiches on cumin quick bread are delicious. Probably more work than you have in mind, though.
I had never heard of these Hawaiian roll sandwiches before. Who knew they were a thing? But how exactly do you serve them? do you cut them up into individual rolls, or cut each roll in half?
@Consolation, they are great tailgate and party food. Somewhat like making a casserole, instead of individual sandwiches. There is the bottom layer, then pile ingredients on, put the top on and bake. When done, either cut along the roll lines or just pull apart.
