Christmas Leftovers Bread Bowl Sandwich (Muffuletta) Recipe
This Christmas Leftovers Bread Bowl Sandwich, inspired by a Muffuletta, is a delicious and creative way to transform your holiday leftovers into a flavorful meal. Using various cooked meats, antipasto ingredients, and fresh baby spinach, all layered inside a hollowed-out round or oval bread loaf and enhanced with garlic butter, it’s a festive and satisfying sandwich perfect for sharing.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4 to 6 1x
- Category: Sandwich
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Ingredients
Scale
Sandwich Ingredients
- 1 round or oval bread loaf
- 300 g / 10 oz ham, turkey, and other cooked meat slices
- 1 cup roughly chopped antipasto things (olives, sun dried tomato, chargrilled peppers, artichokes, feta etc)
- 4 – 6 slices cheese of choice (Swiss recommended)
- 3 big handfuls baby spinach (~75 g / 2.5 oz)
Garlic Butter
- 50 g / 3 tbsp salted butter, melted
- 1 garlic clove, minced
Instructions
- Prepare the Bread Bowl: Slice the top off the bread loaf and hollow out the inside, leaving enough bread on the walls for structure. Set aside the removed bread for another use or to add back later if desired.
- Make Garlic Butter: In a small bowl, combine the melted salted butter with the minced garlic ensuring they are well mixed to create a fragrant garlic butter spread.
- Spread Garlic Butter: Generously spread the garlic butter inside the hollowed bread bowl and on the cut top piece to infuse the bread with rich flavor.
- Layer the Meats: Place the ham, turkey, and other cooked meat slices into the bread bowl, distributing evenly to cover the base and sides.
- Add Antipasto Mixture: Spoon the roughly chopped antipasto ingredients such as olives, sun dried tomatoes, chargrilled peppers, artichokes, and feta over the meat layer, spreading them evenly.
- Layer Cheese and Spinach: Place 4 to 6 slices of your preferred cheese, such as Swiss, on top of the antipasto, then add the baby spinach to fill the remaining space and add freshness.
- Finish and Serve: Replace the top piece of bread onto the stuffed loaf. The sandwich is now ready to be sliced and served immediately or wrapped for transporting. Enjoy this festive, hearty sandwich perfect for enjoying leftover holiday flavors in a new way.
Notes
- Use a sturdy bread loaf like sourdough or a round Italian loaf for best structural integrity.
- This recipe is very versatile; feel free to substitute the meats, cheeses, and antipasto ingredients based on your leftovers and preference.
- The garlic butter can be adjusted in garlic quantity to suit your taste for a bolder or milder garlic flavor.
- For a warm melt, you can place the assembled sandwich in a low oven (about 175°C/350°F) for 10 minutes before serving.
- Leftover bread from hollowing out can be toasted and used as croutons or breadcrumbs.
Keywords: Christmas leftovers sandwich, Muffuletta, bread bowl sandwich, holiday leftovers, antipasto sandwich, garlic butter sandwich