Looking for an easy, quick, and showy idea for a Christmas centerpiece different from the usual? Prepare the mixed sandwich tree with me, the ideal appetizer for those always in a hurry!
To make a Christmas tree with sandwich rolls, no culinary skills or precision of architects or civil engineers are needed! All you need is a cutting board as a work surface and a sharp knife to make the rolls!
Sandwiches can be filled in a thousand ways, using ingredients we like the most according to our tastes, lifestyles, and possible intolerances.
I used simple and easily available ingredients, all without cooking, so we will really make these sandwich rolls in no time.
Once filled and rolled, the slices of bread will go to sleep in the freezer for about thirty minutes before proceeding to cut and assemble.
One thing I’ve always loved is sandwiches; soft buns to be generously filled, so delicious that they invite a taste!
On any occasion you bring sandwiches to the table, you are sure they will be appreciated by everyone, adults and children alike. One of my favorites is undoubtedly the one with tuna and mayonnaise, which I often consumed during my university years.
They are called sandwiches thanks to Gabriele D’Annunzio, who gave them this name to replace the English word “sandwich”.
Sandwiches can be found with or without crust (I prefer them without) and can be cut into a triangle or rectangle shape.
Usually, sandwiches are enjoyed cold, but on some occasions, depending on the ingredients inside, they can be grilled.
With sandwich bread, you can make many tasty recipes like the sandwich cake, showy and very tasty! Or the sandwich candles, perfect to amaze our guests!
To make our Christmas sandwich centerpiece, I chose to make five types of fillings so everyone can choose their favorite!
At the end of this collection, you will find a little gift for you ❤️
Now let’s see together how to make a super showy and very inviting sandwich tree! But first, I leave you the most read Christmas recipes by my faithful readers ❣️
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: about twenty rolls
- Cooking methods: No cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Christmas
Ingredients
- 5 slices sandwich bread (without crust)
- 7 oz spreadable cheese
- 1.4 oz chopped pistachios (or sesame seeds)
- tuna (2 cans of 3 oz each, in oil or natural)
- peppers in oil (about 3 oz)
- mayonnaise (about 4.5 oz)
- 5 oz salami
- 2.5 oz speck (thinly sliced)
- 2.1 oz artichokes in oil
- 5 oz cheese (sliced such as Emmentaler, Fontina, Provola, Scamorza, etc.)
- 2.1 oz sun-dried tomatoes in oil
- 2.1 oz green olives (pitted)
Tools
- Cutting board
- Rolling pin
- Plastic wrap
- Knife
Steps
The ingredients used to make the first sandwich roll are spreadable cheese, tuna, green olives, and mayonnaise.
Slice the green olives into thin rings and place them in a small bowl. Add the drained tuna and mayonnaise, and mix well.
Flatten the slice of bread with a rolling pin so you can roll it better and place it on a sheet of plastic wrap.
Fill the slice with some spreadable cheese (7 oz should be enough for 5 rolls, so judge by eye).
Spread the tuna, mayonnaise, and olive cream on top and spread well. Roll up, using the plastic wrap to help compress it and make it compact.
Seal well with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for at least 30 minutes or in the fridge for a few hours.
For the second sandwich roll, I chose to fill it with spreadable cheese, sliced salami, and artichokes in oil.
Flatten with the rolling pin, place the slice on plastic wrap. Fill with spreadable cheese, six slices of salami.
Chop the artichokes in oil with a knife and place them on the slices of salami. Roll up and wrap tightly in the plastic wrap.
The third roll of sandwich rolls I filled with spreadable cheese, speck slices, and grilled peppers in oil.
After flattening the sandwich slice and placing it on plastic wrap, fill with spreadable cheese, speck slices, and grilled peppers in oil.
Roll up and seal well.
To fill the fourth roll of sandwich bread, I used spreadable cheese, tuna, mayonnaise, and sun-dried tomatoes.
In a bowl, put the well-drained tuna, mayonnaise, and mix. Chop the sun-dried tomatoes in oil.
Fill the sandwich bread with spreadable cheese, then with the tuna and mayonnaise cream and finally place the sun-dried tomatoes on top.
Roll up until you get a tightly wrapped roll.
For the last sandwich roll, I used spreadable cheese, salami slices, and cheese slices.
Roll up and place all the rolls obtained in the freezer for at least 30 minutes, even an hour is fine.
This step is not mandatory but will allow for a more precise cutting of the slices, so feel free to do it or not.
You can also prepare the rolls the night before and put them in the fridge all night to avoid the freezer.
After the resting time, take the sandwich rolls and remove the plastic wrap.
Spread a thin layer of mayonnaise, only on one side, on all the rolls and then roll them in the chopped pistachio, pressing to make it stick well.
Slice all the rolls on a cutting board with a smooth-blade knife. You can choose to make nice thick slices or, as I did, thinner ones.
Once all the rolls are cut, just take a nice serving plate and arrange the rolls all around making more layers until forming a tree!
It’s not a real tree if there’s no star, so with a mold, carve out a piece of cheese and with a toothpick place it on top!
Your sandwich roll tree is ready to go to the table, it will first be admired with the eyes and then tasted by all your guests!
Looking for ideas for other fillings, even vegetarian? Read my tips below 😉
I hope you liked this tasty idea, let me know in the comments if you try it!
Article protected by copyright © – Gabriella Geroni © All Rights Reserved
FAQ
What can I use instead of spreadable cheese?
You can fill all the sandwich slices with mayonnaise or ricotta, which you must work through a sieve to make it very creamy. I recommend choosing a dry one; otherwise, the slices get soggy. If you prefer, you can also use robiola or mascarpone.
What vegetarian filling can I use?
You could fill them with smoked scamorza and grilled zucchini. Or with a nice Russian salad made of potatoes, peas, and carrots, diced very small. Excellent with a good olive pâté, or artichoke mousse, or robiola and sautéed mushrooms. Or a classic with lettuce, tomato, and mozzarella or peppers and scamorza, etc.
How do you store sandwiches?
Sandwiches are stored in the refrigerator, well covered with plastic wrap or placed inside an airtight container; otherwise, they dry out. We can keep them in the fridge for about two days.
What can I use instead of salami?
You can have fun using the ingredients you like best or simply those you already have in the fridge or pantry. For example, instead of salami, try cooked ham and sautéed mushrooms. Or tuna sauce and hard-boiled eggs. Gorgonzola, speck and chopped walnuts; cooked ham mousse and artichokes; arugula and grilled shrimp, or avocado cream, tomato, and smoked salmon. And also, Sandwiches with Shrimp and Mushrooms or with Olive Mousse and Cooked Ham.
I could tell you a thousand more, but I’ll leave the choice to you based on your preferences!
