The Ultimate Picnic Sandwich

Meet The Ultimate Picnic Sandwich

I watched a cooking show on the food network with my mother where they were making a sandwich similar to this. I love a salty sweet combination. The Ultimate Picnic Sandwich has all the components I love. Great crunch, salty, thinly sliced prosciutto, sweet cantaloupe and peppery arugula. The Ultimate Picnic Sandwich is a great recipe for Summer because it is light, yet filling. It is also very easy to make. There is a full, printable recipe for this sandwich at the end of this post.

Few, But Specific Ingredients

This recipe requires few ingredients, but I am very specific about the ingredients I use. Surprisingly, you can get almost all of the ingredients at one of my favorite stores, Aldi. At Aldi they sell this awesome take and bake baguette that I use for the ultimate picnic sandwich. They also sell the arugula spinach mix and the thinly slices prosciutto. The only ingredient they do not sell at Aldi is the Garlic Expression Dressing that is one of my favorites. I love this dressing and use it in lots of recipe. Aldi does sell a dressing that is similar and it is a fine substitute. I believe it is called the House Vinaigrette, you will recognize it by the chunks of fresh garlic in the bottom of the jar of dressing.

Butter IS Better

I am just going to say it, the more butter is better in this indulgent sandwich. I also recommend that you buy yourself the good quality butter for this special sandwich. I like the spreadable Irish butter that Aldi sells, but any good butter will do. This is obviously not a sandwich you will be eating every day so go ahead and spread that butter on thick!

Thin Is Key

This sandwich was also inspired by an appetizer at one of my favorite restaurants in Chicago called Macello, it is in the West Loop. They have a prosciutto appetizer there that they serve with thin slices of cantaloupe that they slice on a deli slicer. Obviously most of us do not have a deli slicer at home, so get yourself a good quality veggie peeler and use that on cantaloupe slice to mimic the thin slices of a deli slicer. While the cantaloupe may seem like an odd choice, you will appreciate the balance of the salt and sweet when you bite into this sandwich.

Time To Make The Sandwich

Now that you have read through all my tips and tricks, it is time to gather your ingredients. Assemble this delightful sandwich and take yourself on a picnic with a great bottle of wine! I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do.

Yield: 1 sandwich

The Ultimate Picnic Sandwich

Print

This is a French inspired baguette that is perfect for taking on a picnic or enjoying with a nice glass of wine. The salty, sweet combination paired with the crusty and buttery bread is a delicious combo. The added arugula gives it a peppery bite.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 loaf of take and bake baguette
• 6 to 8 slices of thinly sliced prosciutto
• 4 to 6 small, thin slices of cantaloupe
• 1 cup of arugula spinach mix
• 1 tablespoon of a garlic vinaigrette, I prefer Garlic Expression brand
• Good quality butter
• lemon
• black pepper

Instructions

1. toast your baguette in the oven or toaster oven.
2. Spread a generous amount of a good quality butter on both sides of the baguette.
3. Layer the prosciutto on the baguette.
4. Using a vegetable peeler, make thin slices of cantaloupe. You should be able to see through the slices. Layer these slices on top of the prosciutto.
5. Toss the arugula and spinach with the garlic vinaigrette, a few grinds of fresh black pepper and a squeeze of fresh lemon. Add this to the top of the prosciutto and cantaloupe.
6. Place the top of the baguette on, cut the sandwich in half and enjoy.