Layered Picnic Loaves

photo and recipe by Taste of Home

• Prep: 15 min. + chilling
• Yield: 12 Servings

• 2 unsliced loaves (1 pound each) Italian bread
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, divided
• 1/2 pound deli roast beef
• 12 slices part-skim mozzarella cheese (1 ounce each)
• 16 fresh basil leaves
• 3 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 1/4 pound thinly sliced salami
• 1 jar (6-1/2 ounces) marinated artichoke hearts, drained and sliced
• 1 package (10 ounces) ready-to-serve salad greens
• 8 ounces thinly sliced deli chicken
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions

• Cut loaves in half horizontally; hollow out tops and bottoms, leaving 1/2-in. shells (discard removed bread or save for another use).
• Combine oil and garlic; brush inside bread shells. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning. Layer bottom of each loaf with a fourth of the roast beef, mozzarella, basil, tomatoes, salami, artichokes, salad greens, chicken and onion. Repeat layers. Season with salt, pepper and remaining Italian seasoning.
• Drizzle with remaining oil mixture if desired. Replace bread tops; wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before slicing. Yield: 2 loaves (12 servings each).

Artichoke Bisque

1 small onion

2 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 cube of butter

2 - 14 ounce cans of artichoke in water

1/3 cup apple juice

2 Tablespoon vinegar

1/2 teaspoon thyme

4 ounce cream cheese

1/2 cup milk

cornstarch or flour to thicken*

 

1. cook onion and garlic in butter until onions are soft and somewhat clear (*if you want you could add a few Tablespoons of flour here to make a roux - I didn't, so I had to thicken with cornstarch at the end)

2. add artichokes, apple juice, vinegar and thyme. mix well. bring to boil and let simmer a few minutes.

3. add cream cheese & milk. mix until cream cheese is mostly melted in.

4. put soup in blender and puree to your desired texture.

5. return soup to stove. heat. thicken with cornstarch and water if necessary.

Cream Cheese Pizza

1/2 loaf of French Bread

1 package cream cheese (softened)

1 can tuna fish

1 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon minced onion

Garlic salt to taste

6 ounces artichokes (quartered, marinated)

2.25 ounces sliced olives

Mix cream cheese, tuna, worcestershire sauce, onions and garlic salt. Cut French bread in half (so you have two open-faced pieces). Spread mixture on bread. Slice up artichoke pieces smaller if desired. Place artichokes and olives on top of ‘pizza’. Place on baking sheet and broil until edges of bread and mixture are browning – approximately 7 to 9 minutes.

**measurements are mostly all guesses here, it’s not a recipe we’ve put in writing, so tweak it to your own liking**

Soy Lime Sauce

1/4 cup lime juice (approximately 2 limes)

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/2 tablespoon dried minced onions

1 to 2 tablespoons minced garlic (refrigerated kind or fresh)

Mix everything up and serve as desired

- serve over meat, chicken, fish or salad

- use as a marinade

- stir-fry meats and/or veggies in it

- use it as a dip for artichokes