Who doesn’t love a tasty sandwich on crusty bread? Sandwiches are so versatile and easy to make. Now this sandwich is a party sandwich! Why? Because it will feed a crowd, you can make bunches of them in advance and they travel well. With summer upon us and picnics, concerts in the park and family reunions calling our name, this will be the crowd pleaser sandwich you have been looking for!
Crusty bread is my weakness! Otherwise I can generally pass on the sandwich category. I know, I must have been a load of fun for my Mother to make lunches for when I was a kid! There is something about the kind of bread that makes this sandwich the exception to my picky rule. Or maybe I have known from an early age that gluten is not my friend and instinctively was not attracted to breads, pastas and pizza. I was, and still am, a taco kind of girl!
I gotta say ~ this is my circus and these are my monkeys! We have been living in a kind of chaos around our house for the last several months. We are in the middle of a remodel! You know it will be a challenge before you get started but you have no idea until you are smack dab in the middle of it how crazy the upheaval makes your brain! Good thing I like polka dots ‘cuz my walls have more test paint colors on them than a leopard has spots!
Furniture has been shifted from room to room, slid down halls and stacked on each other to form little rat mazes throughout the upstairs. Each night when we go to bed, we have to find the newest path to get there. It’s kind of an adventure…..some days. And other days, you wonder if you have lost your mind. If you think misplacing your keys in a normal house make you nuts, then try to remember what room/box you shuffled your check books into and where are your favorite shoes and how to do you get to them?
Not to mention the kitchen! When I volunteered to make sandwiches for Nicole’s graduation party, my girlfriend asked me if I was sure I wanted to take this on. Of course, I said! Not thinking about the fact that I have not been able to get into the kitchen with ease for weeks…. In the moment of wanting to do this for her and Nicole, I forgot we have been living in a version of a storage unit.
Oh well, my husband and I have become professional furniture shufflers! We could do this! We could rearrange everything to find the counter tops and open the refrigerator door more than just a crack!
We have known Nicole since she was born and she is a very special young lady to us. Nicole graduated from Grossmont High School with Honors. Look at those cords! On top of being a great student, she also found time to be the ASB President, did volunteer work beginning in the 7th grade through Sprites, a mother daughter volunteer group who work with philanthropies in San Diego County, was on the yearbook staff and a leader in her youth group at church. Not to mention she is a heck of a photographer and all around sweet heart! Can you tell we think she’s pretty great?
Nicole is off to the University of Missouri in the fall. Mizzou! Go Tigers! We will “Mizz U” but know you will have an amazing experience at college!
So with furniture shoved aside, and recessed can lights dangling from the ceiling like a cartoon characters eyes popping out of its head, I squeeze into the kitchen. I just had to make some special sandwiches for her graduation party! Congrats Nicole!
Avocado Pesto Club Sandwiches
Avocado Pesto Mayo: In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, pesto and avocado leaving chunks of avocado in the mixture. Set aside until you are ready to assemble the sandwich.
To assemble the sandwiches: Slice the Ciabatta loaf in half and tear out some of the bread crumb to make a hollow.
Ok, with the chaos in my kitchen, tile saw screeching in the background, I forgot to hollow out the bread like I usually do. It still tastes great but the look is so much nicer when the bread compacts with the filling for perfect little sandwiches. I highly recommend pulling out some of the bread when making these sandwiches!
Toast lightly under the broiler until golden brown. This will keep the bread from getting soggy once the sandwich is complete.
Divide the mayonnaise mixture and spread it evenly over each side of the bread loaves. Love those chunks of avocado!
Layer 6 slices of turkey, 6 slices of cheese, 6 slices of ham on the bottom of 2 of the bread loaves.
Chill for several hours to overnight for flavors to meld. This is one of the many great things about this sandwich. You can make it in advance, keep it refrigerated and pull it out when the party is about to start and cut it up. That alone puts a level of sanity back into your schedule!
When ready to serve, cut into 1-2 inch by 1-2 inch cubes.
Insert toothpicks into each mini sandwich to hold them together. Place on platter to serve.
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup pesto
- 1 large ripe avocado
- 2 long loaves of Ciabatta or other crusty loaf bread (Trader Joe’s Pain Rustique is my favorite)
- 12 slices Havarti cheese
- 12 slices Honey Roasted Turkey
- 12 slices Black Forest Ham
- Avocado Pesto Mayo: In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, pesto and avocado leaving chunks of avocado in the mixture. Set aside until you are ready to assemble the sandwich.
- To assemble the sandwiches: Slice the Ciabatta loaf in half and tear out some of the bread crumb to make a hollow.
- Toast lightly under the broiler until golden brown. This will keep the bread from getting soggy once the sandwich is complete.
- Divide the mayonnaise mixture and spread it evenly over each side of the bread loaves.
- Layer 6 slices of turkey, 6 slices of cheese, 6 slices of ham on the bottom of 2 of the bread loaves.
- Chill (for several hours to overnight for flavors to meld) and when ready to serve, cut into 1-2 inch by 1-2 inch cubes and insert toothpicks.
- Place on platter to serve.
- These are great the next day too!
