Christmas savory zuccotto, with Russian salad, mayonnaise and cooked ham. If make-ahead Christmas appetizers are the must of your seasonal searches, here you have the right idea: the Christmas savory zuccotto. This is a delicious, cheerful and colorful zuccotto made with slices of sandwich bread and filled with a sort of Russian salad made of potatoes, carrots, peas, ham and mayonnaise. A tasty and piquant idea suitable for Christmas Eve dinner and New Year’s Eve. If you plan a fish-based menu you can replace the cooked ham with tuna or salmon, or instead prepare the savory sandwich zuccotto with tuna and salmon. Let’s go to the kitchen — I’m sure this recipe will be the right choice for the many appetizers for your holiday menu you are looking for. Before we roll up our sleeves, remember that if you want to stay updated on new recipes you can follow my Facebook page and my Instagram profile. In this collection “From fish to meat: many suggestions for the holiday menu“, you will find more delicious recipes!
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very economical
- Rest time: 4 Hours
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 10
- Cooking methods: Other
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: New Year’s Eve, Christmas
Ingredients to make the savory sandwich zuccotto
- 7 slices sandwich bread
- 1 2/3 cups potatoes (peeled and diced (about 9 oz))
- 1 1/2 cups carrots (diced (about 7 oz))
- 1 1/4 cups peas (frozen (about 7 oz))
- 1 3/4 cups mayonnaise (for the filling (about 14 oz))
- 14 oz cooked ham (diced)
- as needed pistachio crumbs (to garnish)
- as needed pomegranate seeds
- as needed mayonnaise (for finishing)
Tools
- Bowl
- Pot
Preparation
To make the Christmas savory zuccotto, you will need a bowl no larger than 8–8 2/3 inches. I used a glass bowl, which you can find in any housewares shop.
Start preparing the filling: rinse the carrots, peel them, cut into small cubes and plunge them into lightly salted boiling water together with the frozen peas. Cook for 7–10 minutes, depending on how soft you want them.
Meanwhile peel and rinse the potatoes, add them to the boiling water together with the peas and carrots and cook for another 5–6 minutes. Taste a potato and if they are tender but not overcooked, drain everything and transfer to a plate to cool completely. Cool the vegetables, then cut the cooked ham into cubes. (Keep in mind that once drained, the hot vegetables — especially the potatoes — will continue to cook from residual heat).
Take 3 slices of sandwich bread and cut them into 15 identical rectangles (stack the slices and make 4 cuts across the short side). Line the bowl with plastic wrap and arrange the bread rectangles in a radial pattern, slightly overlapping them. Place a round disc of bread on the bottom and press well.
Cover the entire surface with some of the mayonnaise taken from the total amount. Mix the remaining mayonnaise with the ham, carrots, peas and potatoes.
Spread a layer of filling on the bottom of the zuccotto, cover with bread and then add more filling,
another layer of bread, another of filling, and finish with a final layer of bread.
Press lightly with your hands and cover with plastic wrap. Place two plates on top of the zuccotto to act as a weight and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
After the resting time, unmold the zuccotto and using a piping bag decorate with mayonnaise, then add color with pistachio crumbs and pomegranate seeds.
The zuccotto is ready to be served.
Storage and tips
The Christmas zuccotto can be prepared in advance, even the day before, but I recommend unmolding and decorating it shortly before serving. Store any leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container and consume within 48 hours (the zuccotto can keep in the fridge for up to 3 days, but if you prepare it the day before, leftovers should be eaten within the following two days).
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