Antipasto-Stuffed Baguette

Makes 12 appetizers or 4 sandwiches These stuffed baguettes make a great picnic lunch or serve it for finger food at your next party. The layers of pesto, goat cheese, salami, roasted red peppers and artichokes make for a beautiful presentation. Add even more color with the addition of arugula leaves. Offer your guests a variety of flavors by serving the Grecian Stuffed Baguette as well.

Course Appetizer

Servings sandwiches

Ingredients

1 Baguette
4 oz Goat Cheese local
1/4 lb Piller's Old Forest Salami thinly sliced
2 Red Peppers roasted, or use a 7 oz. jar of roasted red peppers
14 oz Can of whole artichoke hearts drained and patted dry

Instructions

Cut top third off of baguette horizontally with a sharp serrated knife and remove soft crumb from top and bottom of baguette, leaving the shell about 1/2 inch thick.
Spread half of pesto on bottom shell. Spread goat cheese onto pesto. Fold salami slices in half and lay on top of goat cheese. Top with a layer of the roasted red peppers. Chop the artichokes hearts and put the layer on top of the peppers. Spread the remaining half of the pesto on to the top half of the baguette.
Fit top shell over bottom shell and press firmly together, reforming loaf. Wrap baguette tightly in foil and chill for at least 3 hours or overnight.
Cut baguette into 1 1/2 inch slices with sharp serrated knife for appetizer portions.

Notes

Grecian Stuffed Baguette

Go to the recipe for Roasted Red Pepper Dip listed under “Appetizers”. At the bottom of the recipe will be instructions for creating the Grecian Stuffed Baguette.

BASIL PESTO

The Basil Pesto recipe under Special Additions makes 2 cups of pesto. At the bottom of the recipe are many different ideas for using, storing and freezing pesto. Or, if you don’t want to go through the extra work of making a fresh pesto, there are many nice bottled pesto available at the grocery store and specialty food stores.