Here’s an epic way to use your Christmas leftovers – make a toasted bread bowl sandwich! Based on a type of Italian sandwich called Muffulettas, these are currently all the rage in Sydney so you can feel very on trend!
Perfect portable food, this is certainly not your average sandwich. Crispy and buttery on the outside, mine is stuffed with Christmas leftover ham, turkey, spinach, antipasto type things and cheese. But anything goes!
Anything goes in this bread bowl sandwich!
Christmas Leftovers are precious around these parts. It only rolls around once a year, and everyone in our family really makes an effort with their allocated dishes.
So quite often, you’ll find various family members sidling up to the leftover ham or whatever dish took their fancy in particular that year to pack themselves a generous quantity of it before all the remaining leftovers are shared out equally and fairly to everyone.
We’re shameless. 🤷🏻♀️
So. When it comes to consuming leftovers in any form other than reheating it as is, it needs to be worthy.
I promise – this bread bowl sandwich is worthy!
Not your usual sandwich!
This is somewhat different to your usual sandwich. I call it a bread bowl because it’s made by hollowing out a bread loaf (use the leftover bread for Meatballs!) then filling it with all manner of things (Christmas leftovers in this case) before popping the lid back on, weighing it down with something heavy (I use a cast iron skillet) then baking it until it’s toasty.
The bread bowl shape isn’t just a “hack”. It allows us to stuff this sandwich with way more things than you can between 2 slices of bread. It holds all that goodness in when we weigh it down while it bakes so all the flavours meld together and it makes the crust super crispy.
And if that wasn’t enough, did I mention that we brush it with garlic butter too?? Inside AND out! 🙂
The filling – there are no rules!
Anything goes here. Leftover ham, turkey, pork, roasted veg, cheese, fresh salads. You’re only restricted by your imagination!
I probably wouldn’t use medium rare cooked meats like Prime Rib or Roast Lamb because it seems like a bit of a shame to cook a meat to perfect blushing pink only to cook it through in this Bread Bowl Sandwich.
But other than that, I can’t think of many things that would make our Christmas table that I wouldn’t put inside a Bread Bowl Sandwich. See above the video for an extensive list of ideas!
Terrific portable food
This is the sandwich that I make to share with friends and family on international flights because it travels so well and is made for sharing. It’s one of those foods that’s terrific fresh out of the oven OR the next day because the flavours have had time to meld even more.
Granted, I don’t usually make this with Christmas Ham!! 😂 This special Christmas edition Bread Bowl Sandwich is a once a year thing. And to be honest, the video plus some of the photos had to be shot with deli turkey and ham because I ran out of leftovers from this years’ Glazed Ham and juicy Roast Turkey.
So usually, I make this Bread Bowl Sandwich with deli cold cuts. And actually, this recipe is based on an Italian sandwich called Muffuletta which is made the same way but usually using a round bread loaf and of course, Italian cold cuts and antipasto things.
Muffuletta’s seem to be all the rage at the moment. At least, here in Sydney. So you can feel very “cool” if you make this!! 😂 ~ Nagi x
PS The two photos below are the version made with actual leftovers from this Brown Sugar Glazed Ham, this juicy Roast Turkey and leftover antipasto-y things from this Festive Italian Cheese Log.
BROWSE ALL CHRISTMAS LEFTOVER RECIPE IDEAS!
FILLING IDEAS – LEFTOVER CENTRAL!
- Deli meats or leftover homemade Glazed Ham
- ANY cooked meats that aren’t too saucy. Not just sliced roasts (pork roast, honey butter pork loin, roast chicken, turkey) but also chopped up or shredded cooked meat (eg Greek Chicken, Pork Carnitas, BBQ Pulled Pork, Mexican Shredded Beef) or even Meatloaf, Rissoles or Meatballs!
- Antipasto type things are idea because they’re juicy. Chopped olives, artichokes, sun dried tomatoes (terrific flavour punch) and peppers is the mix I used (leftovers from this Italian Cheese Log)
- Greens – baby or normal spinach are my favourite, followed by rocket / arugula. If I use tomato or other juicy vegetables, I slice them, shake off excess water then wedge them in the middle (don’t want to make the base soggy). I also use leftover cabbage salad (wring out excess liquid).
- Cheese – Not just melty cheese, also feta, goats cheese, ricotta (SO GOOD!), even a sprinkle or shavings of parmesan!
- Roasted and other cooked veg – SO GOOD. Pretty much anything – pumpkin, Brussels, carrots. I have even been known to spread the base with a layer of mashed potato.
- Canned veg – I’ve done corn and beans in the past when I made a Mexican style one with Mexican Fiesta leftovers!
- Stuffing. OH YES!
And more sandwiches and sliders
Steak Sandwich – super quick
Pastrami Sandwiches – Rye bread piled high with homemade pastrami. EPIC!
Cubanos – Cuban Pork Sandwich
Monte Cristo – ham and cheese French toast sandwich
Browse all Sandwiches & Sliders recipes – and Burgers!
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
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Christmas Leftovers Toasted Bread Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 round or oval bread loaf (Note 1)
- 300 g / 10 oz ham, turkey and other cooked meat slices
- 1 cup roughly chopped antipasto things (olives, sun dried tomato, chargrilled peppers, artichokes, feta etc)
- 4 – 6 slices cheese of choice (I used Swiss in the video)
- 3 big handfuls baby spinach (~75g / 2.5oz)
Garlic Butter:
- 50 g / 3 tbsp salted butter , melted
- 1 garlic clove , minced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
- Mix butter and garlic.
- Cut the top off the bread loaf. Pick out bread from the loaf and the lid, leaving a wall and floor about 1.5cm / 3/5″ thick.
- Place bread on a large sheet of foil on a baking tray.
- Dab / brush inside with butter. Layer with: half spinach, turkey, antipasto things, remaining spinach, ham, cheese.
- Tuck flappy bits inside the loaf, top with lid.
- Brush with butter all over. Wrap with foil.
- Weigh down with something flat and heavy – cast iron skillet is ideal.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Remove skillet and foil.
- Bake for a further 10 minutes until golden.
- Cut into thick slices and serve immediately!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
LIFE OF DOZER
When Dozer (and I) spotted the gingerbread house….
THIS NOT ONLY SOUNDS DELICIOUS BUT A GREAT WAY TO USED UP THOSE HOLIDAY LEFTOVERS. HAVE TO TELL YOU I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THE PICTURES OF DOZER, HE IS DEFINITELY A LOVE. MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU AND YOURS FROM WILMINGTON DELAWARE, USA
So glad you love seeing photos of that giant smelly fur ball!!! 😂 Merry Christmas to you too Pam! N x
It has become a tradition for hubby and me to share Xmas Eve with a dear friend who is widowed . We have a special meal and exchange gifts. This year I made BUTTER CHICKEN and oh my goodness… over the top delicious. I followed the recipe precisely, which is a little unusual for me and would not change a thing. We opened presents, had dinner, drove around the town to see lights and then came back for dessert. Wonderful celebration. Had leftovers yesterday and it warms up beautifully. Blend of spices were perfect. Simple, delicious and memorable… my friend is still talking about it and of course she wants the recipe. Blessings in the near year, Nagi.
I love hearing that Valerie!!! Pretty darn terrific Christmas Meal if you ask me! 🙂 N x
Oh how I would love , love to have this sandwich today! I’m back to work after the Christmas holiday. I would enjoy this heavenly creation so much better than what I packed! Poor planning on my part. I know what I’ll be diving into tonight and tomorrow! Thank you so much for sharing your recipes and snippets of your life with us.
Are you close enough for me to send this to you?? I have half left in my fridge! 😂 N x
LOVE all your recipes! Is it possible to have them print without the pic of the recipe (like other sites)? It would help save on printer ink! Thanks!
Hi BJ! If you hit the Print icon on the recipe card then it will print only the recipe with a small square photo. Or do you mean an option to print without even a small photo?? 🙂 N x
Such a great idea, not only for taking on flights but also for long car journeys, where you pay astronomical prices for less than average food!
Thank you so much for all your recipes this year. You have made such a difference to my cooking, particularly at Christmas when I know that if I use ‘a Nagi’ recipe everything will be perfect! You have also given me the confidence to experiment with my own ideas.
The only problem I have is with some recipes only using Cup measures. Are you able to add metric measurements to all your recipes, or feature a button to be able to click and convert between them, as some sites do? I particularly want to make the Italian Cheese Log.
Thank you
YES! Perfect for road trips!!! I normally do add metric measurements but for this one it’s sort of hard because (for eg) the weight of antipasto things differs depending on what you use. Also because this is kind of a “loose” recipe – more a guide than exact measurements!! N x
I totally agree about the weights for this recipe, I would just fill it up! I particularly wanted the weights for the Italian Cheese log, can you possibly update that one? Thank you