Christmas Leftover Muffaletta
I was once asked what my death row dish would be….. Without hesitation, it was Christmas Dinner. I love it so much. Being You know what I love even more than Christmas dinner…. Using the leftovers to make fun and exciting things…. My favourite use, (and probably the most obvious) is making sandwiches with the left-over meats and sauces.
I’ve been obsessed with muffulettas for a while. I mean just one look and they are thrilling. Not familiar with a Muffuletta?
The muffuletta is a southern institution. The muffuletta sandwich was created in 1906 at Central Grocery Co. on Decatur Street, New Orleans by its owner Salvatore Lupo. Traditional-style muffuletta sandwich consists of round loaf split horizontally and filled with layers of marinated olive salad, salami, ham, Swiss cheese, provolone, and mortadella. The sandwich is pressed and chilled. Then you slice off wedges and serve.
The Muffuletta makes for a perfect boxing day sandwich that you can make it on Christmas night. Then pop in the fridge ready for snacking on boxing day.
My version uses turkey, gammon, sausage meat, swiss cheese, applewood cheddar, spinach. Instead of the olive salad, I’m using red onion marmalade, pickled red cabbage and cranberry sauce.
I think its the perfect combo of flavours ranging from sweet, savoury, salt, and sour.
Christmas Leftover Muffaletta
Round Loaf (Crusty, but soft interior Not Sourdough)
Leftover Roast meats (Thinly Sliced
Swiss cheese
Applewood smoked cheddar
Red Onion Marmalade
Cranberry Sauce
Pickled Red Cabbage
Spinach
Mayonnaise
Split the loaf at about 2/3’s from the bottom of the loaf. Core out some of the interior fluffy bread to make a bowl. Remove a little from the lid too.
Now there is no set way you need to layer your ingredients. You just need to add ‘glue’ every few layers. When I say glue, I’m talking onion chutney, mayonnaise, mustard or cranberry sauce.
Let’s Assemble The Muffaletta
Spread the bottom of the bread bowl liberally with the red onion marmalade.
Then layer on the Swiss Cheese
Then layer on the roast turkey
Then a generous layer of mayo
Then a layer sausage stuffing.
Then a layer of applewood smoked cheddar
A layer of roast gammon
A good smear of Cranberry Sauce
A layer of baby Spinach
A layer of Swiss Cheese.
A good handful of Pickled Cabbage
Another layer of Apple Wood Smoked Cheddar
Then a good spread of mayo in the lid
Once you have a full set of layers. Depending on how thick your loaf is you might want to repeat. It should be domed over the top of the loaf.
Top with the bread lid and wrap with cling film tightly. Now the most important part… you need to press and apply some weight. A cast iron skillet, a chopping board with a couple of tins of beans.
I wedged min in my cast iron cassolette. Chill overnight.
To serve, remove cling film and slice into wedges.
