Antipasto Party Sandwiches

Your guests will love these mini-sandwich appetizers filled with cold cuts, cheese, and savory vegetables.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2/3 cup pitted chopped green olives
• 2/3 cup pitted, chopped Kalamata olives
• 1/2 cup chopped roasted red peppers
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 large loaf ciabatta bread, about 18 inches long
• 1/2 pound thinly sliced provolone
• 1/3 pound thinly sliced mortadella
• 1/3 pound thinly sliced soppressata
• 1/3 pound thinly sliced hot cappacola
• 1 red onion, sliced into thin rings
• 2 cups arugula or baby spinach

Directions:

Whisk first 3 ingredients in a large bowl to blend. Gradually blend in olive oil. Stir in olives and roasted red peppers. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cut ciabatta in half horizontally. Pull out all but 1 inch of bread from inside of each half to create a cavity. Spread olive mixture evenly onto both sides of loaf and set top half aside. Working with bottom half, top olive mixture with even layers of provolone, mortadella, sopressata, and cappacola. Top meats with a layer of red onion rings followed by a layer of arugula or baby spinach. Carefully place top half of loaf on top and wrap sandwich tightly with plastic wrap to compress. Let it sit for several hours, refrigerated to allow flavors to blend. When ready to serve, unwrap sandwich and, using a large serrated knife, cut sandwich into 24-26 pieces by slicing it crosswise into 1 1/2 inch thick slices and then cutting each of these sections in half to form individual portions. Secure each portion with a toothpick and arrange decoratively on a large platter.

Number of Servings: 24-26 individual portions

Notes from the Cook: You can mix and match different deli meats if you are unable to find the ones listed in the recipe; turkey, salami, ham, and prosciutto all work great.