Baked Sandwiches: Oh, the Possibilies!

These baked sandwiches are always a big hit with my family.  They are super easy to make and have so many delicious filling options it should never get boring.  Today, I'll show you how to do the basic meat and cheese variety, but get creative!  We've done all combinations of meats and cheeses, but then I've done traditional pizza filling (pizza sauce, mozzarella, and pepperoni); vegetarian pizza filling (pizza sauce, mozzarella, spinach, olives and mushrooms); turkey with provolone and mushrooms; chopped chicken with spinach artichoke dip; cheese only, served with marinara or spaghetti sauce for yummy dunkers- I could go on and on, but I'm sure you get the point.


Here's how to do it:

Preheat your oven to 350* and grease (or spray) a baking sheet.

Whip up a batch of the best bread dough ever, or you can use a thawed loaf of Rhodes bread (found in the frozen section at most grocery stores).  Roll the dough into a large rectangle roughly 1/4 inch thick.  (It's OK to make it a tiny bit thinner if it holds together, but you don't want it any thicker than that.  It's also OK if the rectangle is a bit wonky like mine.)

Layer your filling ingredients along one half of the dough, leaving an inch border on the edges.

Carefully fold the empty side of the dough over to cover the filling.  

Roll and pinch the edges so they are completely sealed.

Bake on the greased baking sheet for 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

Let the sandwich cool slightly before cutting into slices with a sharp knife or pizza cutter.

 (I can't figure out why this picture keeps publishing sideways.  Sorry.)

One nice thing about these sandwiches is you can make them ahead of time and keep them in the fridge for a fast,  grab-able lunch.  I did this when we road-tripped to Utah in March.  It was so nice to be able to hand my kids a healthy sandwich from the cooler when they were hungry instead of loading them up on snacks or Happy Meals.

This last time, I made two sandwiches.  We ate one for lunch, but I popped the second one in the freezer bag after I sliced it so I could freeze it and then grab a slice or two to make lunch prep for my 3rd grader a snap.  I hope it thaws in time!  =)

Enjoy!