You've Got To Taste This

Before I met my fiance, my sandwich repertoire was fairly limited: turkey, wheat, mustard, lettuce, and maybe a pickle, if I was feeling adventurous.  I ate that combination so frequently that I swore off sandwiches altogether, until he came along.

My fiance is the king of sandwiches.  They're made on hearty olive loaves and piled high with Brie, bacon, avocado, ground mustard, and, of course, deli-sliced turkey. He loads up all the ingredients and then lightly toasts it in a panini press and, let me tell you, it is amazingly tasty.

So when we planned a picnic dinner one night in town, I knew I had to find the perfect sandwich: flavorful, easy to transport, and, well, better than his signature stacker. We both love Mediterranean ingredients, so I tried the Antipasto Chicken Sandwich, which piles a focaccia round high with artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, red bell peppers, olives, prosciutto, and fontina cheese.  Because I used rotisserie chicken, the sandwich came together in minutes while he grabbed a few other picnic staples, namely pita chips and chocolate cupcakes.  I baked the sandwich until the cheese melted and then wrapped the individual slices in tin foil. (For a step-by-step tips on making the sandwich, check out Holley's video.)

The result? A deliciously light, yet hearty sandwich packed with tons of Italian-inspired flavor.  The fontina and prosciutto really put it over the top, but I bet it would be just as delicious to try it with bacon and provolone.  I'm really glad we liked the sandwich, because that was the night he proposed, so I have a feeling we'll be (happily!) having this particular sandwich for many years to come.

Do any of your favorite recipes have sentimental memories behind them?