marinated balsamic veggie cheese sandwich

Time to embrace summery picnic food!

I’ve always had a thing with sandwiches. Growing up, mom would cart me through the Walmart deli and hand over a sample of whatever salami or bologna we chose that particular trip (I was a huge carnivore as a kid and never passed up charcuterie before it was cool). Our findings always translated into lunch sammies for the week. Salami and cheese, bologna and cheese, sometimes turkey when I felt classier. A good old white bread stack was the shit back in the day.

Nowadays, I still love to whip together a sandwich, but with a more interesting array of fixings, usually one heavier on veggies and often with avocado. A good sourdough loaf, rye, or whole grain occupies my pantry more often than a pure white bread. Same same, but different.

I will never pass up roasted vegetables and this Marinated Balsamic Veggie Sandwich is at once simple, minimal, and busting its buttons with flavor. An easy vinaigrette douses summer produce and two types of cheese, all of which is stacked in the middle of two giant hunks of fluffy ciabatta. Slice it up and carry the yield to a beach or park gathering. A matured answer to youthful lunchtime nostalgia.

Veggin’

…With a sandwich in hand? Not bad at all.

I buy my bigass ciabatta from Publix, and have seen them at Whole Foods and Sprouts in the bakery sections as well.

Whip up a quick marinade of olive oil, balsamic, blackberry jam, fresh oregano, and garlic. Slice up a bevy of fresh veggies – I use summer squashes, colorful peppers, and big mushroom caps – and toss in about half of the dressing. Let sit at least 10 minutes, though if you have longer, do so. You can even marinate the veg in the fridge, covered, for up to a day.

Spread the veggies onto lined baking sheets. I used two to ensure I didn’t overcrowd the pan. Roast at 425 for 15-20 minutes. You can broil the veggies for 5 minutes to finish them off, if you’d like, but remove the parchment first else your oven will catch on fire. Not that I’m speaking from experience or anything.

Loafin’

Slice your ciabatta in half lengthwise. Take care in this step so to not end up with a totally lopsided loaf. I usually make a shallow cut around the whole perimeter, then slowly slice through the center from one end to another. Perfect evenness isn’t necessary, but both halves need some heft to support the fillings.

Brush the cut sides with olive oil and broil for a few minutes until toasty.

Then, the fun part: building your sam’. I start with the zucchini strips, then the peppers and mushrooms. Dash with a bit more dressing, then spread some sliced pepperonicinis atop. Love these guys for crunch and brine. Finish with provolone slices, fresh mozzarella, and a good heft of arugula. Splash with a bit more dressing if you’d like (I like).

Al final: slice into individual sandwiches and serve! Perhaps with toothpick garnishes if you please.

If you’re a fan of mayonnaise or pesto, a little spread of either on the bread before layering is a great idea. I just love the simplicity and freshness of a generous dressing accompaniment. My broccoli walnut pesto is a great option for a bit of extra something something.

My favorite part of this sandwich? The mushrooms. Holy hell, nothing like roasted portobello caps. I could eat those on their own, man.

Tried this recipe out? Leave a comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!