Luncheon Sandwich Torte Recipes

ITALIAN BRUNCH TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Place a greased 9-in. springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square). Securely wrap foil around pan. Unroll 1 tube of crescent dough and separate into triangles. Press onto bottom of prepared pan to form a crust, sealing seams well. Bake until set, 10-15 minutes., Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add spinach and mushrooms; cook and stir until mushrooms are tender. Drain on several layers of paper towels, blotting well. In a large bowl, whisk 6 eggs, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning and pepper., Layer crust with half of each of the following: ham, salami, provolone cheese, red peppers and spinach mixture. Pour half of the egg mixture over top. Repeat layers; top with remaining egg mixture., On a work surface, unroll and separate remaining crescent dough into triangles. Press together to form a circle and seal seams; place over filling. Whisk remaining egg; brush over dough., Bake, uncovered, until a thermometer reads 160°, 1 to 1-1/4 hours, covering loosely with foil if needed to prevent overbrowning. Carefully loosen sides from pan with a knife; remove rim from pan. Let stand 20 minutes.

LUNCHEON SANDWICH TORTE

Steps:

• Chicken Salad: Beat cream cheese, mayonnaise, green onion, lemon juice and poppy seeds until blended. Add chicken and walnuts and season to taste. Chill until ready to assemble.
• Pesto Cheese: For pesto cheese, pulse basil, parsley, garlic and olive oil until a paste. Add cream cheese and pulse to combine, adding sour cream as necessary to make smooth. Season to taste and hold at room temperature until ready to assemble.
• Egg Salad: Grate eggs coarsely on a box grater. Toss with mayonnaise, olives and onion and season to taste. Chill until ready to assemble.
• Torte Base Layers: To assemble torte, line a 9-inch springform pan with plastic wrap so that it hangs over the sides. Remove crusts from sandwich bread. Cut each crustless slice of bread in half (so they are about the size of ladyfingers). Line the bottom of pan with bread slices, alternating whole wheat and white bread. Line alternating bread fingers up side of pan.
• Spread chicken salad over bread-lined bottom of pan. Layer bread slices over chicken salad (alternating whole wheat and white again) and spread egg salad over. Repeat with bread slices and pesto cheese, and top with a final layer of bread slices. Pull hanging plastic wrap over top to cover and chill for at least 3 hours.
• To garnish, top torte with remaining pesto (pipe as you would a cake). To serve, slice as you would a cake and serve with a side salad. Serves 8.
• Chef Anna Olson.

ITALIAN TORTA SANDWICHES

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray or grease the bottom and sides of an 8- or 9-inch springform pan. Roll 2/3 of dough into a circle and press onto bottom and up sides of pan. (I can give you a great pie dough recipe if you like, or use a convenience package.)
• 2. Fill half the meat in the crust.
• 3. Then half of the cream cheese and pesto.
• 4. Then half of the olives and red peppers.
• 5. Finally, half the spinach and shredded cheese. Then repeat it all.
• 6. Roll out final 1/3 of dough into an 8-inch circle, and place atop fillings, pinching seams with bottom crust to seal. Make vent holes with a fork. t
• 7. Then brush with beaten egg.
• 8. Bake 50 minutes. Let rest 15 minutes, then remove from pan.
• 9. Slice into wedges. This is also great at room temperature or cold. What a different, delightful sandwich!