I have always loved packing a picnic and taking off for a day of adventure. Bringing your own food allows you to explore more desolate areas without having to worry about grabbing something from a local restaurant.
However, as a young wife and mother I found my husband was not particularly fond of picnic food. He found it too dainty, without enough sustenance to get through a long day of activity. I quickly realized I needed to up my picnic food game if I wanted to keep sitting in my lounge chair, while my husband had enough energy to chase the kids around. I needed a plan.
I guess you could say this is my version of a Dagwood sandwich, full of varying meats and cheeses, minus the olive on top; feel free to add it if you like. This particular version is a family favorite. I vary it slightly for myself and the kids, but this is how my husband prefers it. With a side of grapes it keeps him going throughout the afternoon and I get to keep reading my book.
Adding extra flavor to sandwiches can be tricky. Big bold tastes are often coupled with items that make a sandwich soggy. I have found adding flavorful cheese a great way to get the taste I want without losing the texture and crunch for a sandwich I might prepare ahead. It's a win-win situation.
For this particular sandwich I have used three of my favorite cheese slices, Sargento® Deli Style Sliced Pepper Jack Cheese, Sargento® Natural Blends® Deli Style Sliced Colby-Pepper Jack Cheese and Sargento® Deli Style Sliced Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese. This is the perfect trifecta of cheese for this sandwich.
All are bold in flavor and synergistically make each layer of this sandwich a little more interesting. Of course you could choose another combination of cheese flavors for your sandwich, it's up to you. With over 30 delicious varieties available, the possibilities are numerous. I don't think you could go wrong.
I especially enjoy that Sargento slices are 100% real, natural cheese, unlike pasteurized process cheese food products (American Singles), which contain only 51% real cheese. Eeks, you can taste the difference. Load up each bread slice with a different variety of cheese and enjoy a memorable sandwich taste.
I wrote this recipe for one sandwich. You can double, triple and quadruple it depending on how many you would like to serve.
Ultimate Manly Picnic Sandwich
Recipe from NoblePig.com | Serves: 1
Ingredients:
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon prepared pesto
3 slices whole wheat toast, toasted
1 slice Sargento® Deli Style Sliced Pepper Jack Cheese
1 slice Sargento® Natural Blends® Deli Style Sliced Colby-Pepper Jack Cheese
1 slice Sargento® Deli Style Sliced Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese
romaine lettuce, (inside pieces are most crunchy)
1/2 ounce deli shaved turkey
4 slices bacon
1/2 of an avocado, sliced
Directions:
In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise and pesto. Spread pesto mayo on each slice of toasted bread (as generous as you choose). Place one slice of cheese on each slice of bread.
While building your sandwich is completely up to you, I will run through the order of how I think it should be stacked. Bread with Colby-Pepper Jack on the bottom, romaine lettuce, turkey, bread with Pepper Jack, bacon, avocado and bread with Extra Sharp Cheddar on top.
If you are making sandwiches for a picnic, bring your avocado and add right before serving. This will keep the avocado from turning brown and the sandwich from becoming mushy.
Cathy owns a vineyard and winery in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. She is a food writer for Davis Life Magazine and blogs daily about wine, food and everyday living. She lives with her husband and two sons. You can visit her at noblepig.com.