We were at an away tennis match, where traditionally the home team provides a spread of food. 

These little bites of ooey-gooey-love got our attention in a hurry.  

I have no idea if we won or lost our match that day. However, there’s no question that leaving with the recipe for Antipasto Squares was a Win!

I have since made these yummy squares many times. Most recently I shared a batch at a neighborhood gathering.  They were a hit!

The smell of warm buttery croissants alone draws you in. 

Combine that with all your favorite Italian meats and cheeses and you’ve got flavor magic. 

The roasted red peppers give them that familiar antipasto flavor which all comes together as they bake. 

There’s no question, these Antipasto Squares are rich.  I found cutting them into 1 1/2″ squares gives you a nice two-bite sample that’s easy to handle and allows you to come back for more with no very little guilt ;)  

These are a fantastic party food served warm or perhaps even better at room temperature.  And if you happen to be throwing a Game Day Party these Antipasto Squares are a fan favorite!

Delizioso!

For my college kids cooking in an apartment…. Make these!! They’re so easy and everyone will love them!

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram and Facebook! And check out our latest TikTok videos and Pinterest boards too!

All my best,
xo Libby

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Libby with Lemony Thyme

These Antipasto Squares combine all your favorite Italian meats, cheeses and roasted red peppers in buttery croissant dough! Winning!

Course Appetizer

Servings 30 squares

Author All Recipes

Ingredients

• 2 10 ounce cans refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
• 1/4 pound boiled ham thinly sliced
• 1/4 pound provolone cheese thinly sliced
• 1/4 pound Genoa salami thinly sliced
• 1/4 pound Swiss cheese thinly sliced
• 1/4 pound pepperoni sausage thinly sliced
• 1 12 ounce jar roasted red peppers drained, cut into thin strips
• 3 eggs
• 3 Tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp. pepper

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350° F.
• Unroll one package of crescent roll dough, and cover the bottom of a 9×13 inch pan. Layer the ham, provolone cheese, salami, Swiss cheese, pepperoni, and red peppers, on top of the dough.
• In a bowl, beat the eggs lightly, and stir in the Parmesan cheese and black pepper. Pour 3/4 of this mixture over the peppers.

  Unroll the second package of dough, and place over the top of the peppers. Brush with the remaining egg mixture. Cover with aluminum foil.
• Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove foil, and bake another 10 to 20 minutes, or until dough is fluffy and golden brown. Cut into squares. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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By the summer of sixth grade I was old enough to head off on my bicycle in the morning, with one stipulation, be home before dark.  Most days for lunch I split an Italian Grinder with my BFF before heading to the lake.  This Chopped Italian Submarine Salad has all those familiar wonderful flavors.

I grew up in a two stop-light old mill town in southern New Hampshire.  The first light was at ‘the bridge’ and the second was at the crazy five-way intersection.  Turn left and you head out of town.  Left of center led you to Silver Ranch (now called Kimball Farm), home of the Ice Cream Shop and Restaurant (serving hand dipped homemade ice cream, lobster rolls and seafood plates).  Right of center took us past the middle & high school, the ball fields & ice rink and ultimately to ‘the lake.’  All of which we could reach on our bicycles, which is how we traveled in the summers before turning 16.  It was however, the short dead end road to the hard right at that 2nd stop-light that has inspired this post.

One block in on the right, sits The Pizza Barn.  A local favorite in our small town, a place I visit every time home, and I’m willing to bet their pizzas and grinders (aka submarines) could hold their own against most.  If any of my hometown friends are reading this, feel free to comment below and share your Pizza Barn favorites.

In my opinion, what makes an Italian Sub is Submarine Dressing.  Today I decided to recreate my favorite supermarket brand from scratch (Seriously, how can you be out of Submarine Dressing??!!).  Click here for recipe or pick up a bottle at your deli counter.

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Chopped Italian Submarine Salad

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 4- ounces ditalini pasta cooked
• 2 heads romaine lettuce chopped
• 1/4 lb. thick sliced pepperoni diced
• 1/4 lb. thick sliced salami diced
• 1/4 lb. thick sliced ham or mortadella diced
• 1/4 lb. thick sliced provolone diced
• 1/4 lb. thick sliced mozzarella diced
• 1 3.8- ounce can sliced ripe olives
• 10-12 cherry tomatoes sliced
• 10-12 pepperoncini peppers sliced
• 1/2 cup red onion fine diced
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• freshly cracked black pepper
• Submarine Dressing recipe link in post

Instructions

• Slice and dice ingredients.
• When ready to serve, toss pasta and romaine with diced meats, cheeses, and veggies. Sprinkle with dried oregano, pepper and a generous serving of Submarine Dressing.
• Serve immediately.

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Cheese and salami slices are easily transformed into a snack chip.  Just a minute or two in the microwave and you’ll be enjoying low carb ‘chips’ that are sturdy enough for dipping.  Salami & Cheese Chips are a great addition to any appetizer spread.

I’ve been making microwave Cheese Chips for years.  Not because I was looking for an awesome low-carb snack, but because we always have cheese on hand and I’m often looking for a quick snack.  Simply lay a slice of cheese on parchment paper and microwave for 1 minute to 1 minute 15 seconds.  Voila.  I did the three different types of cheese shown above at the same time and they all turned out perfectly.

The key for the Salami Chips is to have your deli slice the salami (or pepperoni) nice and thin.  Then onto the parchment paper and into the microwave for a 60 – 75 seconds  My low-carb and gluten free friends, you’ll be dunking in dip in no time.

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Last spring Shelby and I flew to New Orleans.  For business.  Aaaannnnd a girl’s getaway.  To say we had a blast is an understatement.  Before we left home we each made a must-see/do list of what we wanted to experience while visiting The Big Easy.  A trip to Central Grocery Co. for a Muffuletta was near the top of my list.

There were several ‘firsts’ that weekend.  I shared more about our trip in this post titled Beignets & Charbroiled Oysters {and a Pimm’s Cup recipe}.  We saved the best for last, we would enjoy a Muffuletta for lunch on Monday before we flew out that evening.  Yeeeaaaahhh.  Central Grocery is closed on Mondays.  Damn.

I had visions of sharing my version of their Muffuletta.  I had even started the post and saved it as a draft.  That draft has laid dormant for over a year.  I will visit NOLA again, this I know.  But I couldn’t wait any longer to create this monster sandwich in my kitchen.  Here we go.

I took some liberties with this Muffuletta.  I make a really good Triple Olive Tapenade.  Why reinvent the wheel?  Our tapenade was a great substitution for their ‘olive salad.’

Next, the Muffuletta got it’s name from a loaf of bread called muffuletta.  Sadly, they don’t make that at my local bakery and from what I’ve learned my best chance to obtain muffuletta is to board a plane to New Orleans.  Given that wasn’t an option, I chose our favorite round loaf….sour dough.  Blasphemy I know.  Can we agree now that this recipe isn’t authentic, yet a damn good representation of a classic sandwich?  In my head we all agreed.

I stepped up to the deli and was greeted by an energetic meat monger.  Not sure about that term.  After informing my ‘slicer guy’ that I was about to be a nightmare, he quickly said “I’m all in, let’s do this.”  I need 1/4-pound of salami, mortadella, capicola, provolone, mozzarella….and yes, I said yes to every sample he offered.  OooMyyyWeeerd.  Mortadella is bologna for grown ups.  Yum!

We have tomatoes overflowing every inch (and counter) of our kitchen.  Yes, sliced tomatoes have been added to our sandwich, along with banana pepper rings.  And all of that meat and cheese.

Our Muffuletta Sandwich was awe-mazing and loaded with meat.  I layered tomato on the bottom, then alternated meat and cheese before topping with the yummy tapenade.  The key to the Muffuletta Sandwich is to press it.  I wrapped our sandwich in paper then stood every heavy can and pot on top of it for about six hours.  Holy Wow.  This is a BIG sandwich.  We each attempted a rather tall quarter first.  Serious sandwich love.  Later that evening, (in my best narrator voice) we heated the remaining sandwich in the oven.  Are you kidding me?!  Again, in my head we all agree….that all those Italian meats and cheeses bring a flavor explosion when warmed in the oven.

Did I mention that this is an awesome Game Day recipe?  Sharing on SEC Saturday.

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Muffuletta Sandwich

Ingredients

• 1 8- inch round Italian bread
• 1/2 cup Tapenade recipe link in post
• 1 small tomato sliced
• 1/4 cup banana pepper rings
• 1/4 pound mortadella
• 1/4 pound salami
• 1/4 pound capacoli
• 1/4 pound provolone
• 1/4 pound mozzarella

Instructions

• Prepare Olive Tapenade. Preferably 8-12 hours ahead of time.
• Slice Italian round and scoop out extra bread.
• Layer tomato slices then alternate meat and cheese. Top with banana pepper and olive tapenade.
• Wrap sandwich then press with a plate stacked with heavy pantry ingredients. Your choice.
• To serve, use a sharp knife and cut in quarters.

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I love a party where everyone brings an appetizer to share.  Such a great way to sample new recipes.  When we get the whole family together to celebrate a birthday this has become our favorite kind of meal.  I made Antipasto Skewers to share at our last get together.  They were fun to eat and easy to make.

Lay out all your ingredients in the order you want to skewer them and let the assembly begin.

What’s your favorite Appetizer or Finger Food?  I’m always looking for recipe inspiration and would love to recreate YOUR favorites.

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Antipasto Skewers {a fun & easy party food}

Servings 12

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 1 lb. tortellini cooked al dente
• 1 can colossal ripe olives drained
• 1 jar marinated mushrooms drained. Marinade reserved.
• 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cubed
• 1/2 lb. hard salami sliced thin
• 1/2 lb. pepperoni sliced thin
• 1/2 cup Italian dressing plus marinade liquid from mushrooms
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 24 fresh basil leaves
• 24 wooden skewers

Instructions

• Cook tortellini according to package instructions. Then drain and run under cold water. Toss tortellini with Italian dressing and reserved mushroom marinade. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• To assemble skewers, place ingredients in order then slide onto skewers.

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