Servings: 6 Prep: 2 mins Cook: 1 min Total: 3 mins
When I was younger, I worked in a high end deli in West Seattle. We made all manner of sandwiches, on a wide variety of breads. Hot, cold, custom style, etc. It didn’t matter.
There was one sandwich concept which I LOVED, and always thought was so cool, but never really made in my real life until recently! Recently, I made a sort of Super Low Carb Focaccia. It’s a big sheet of slightly spicy and herby bread, loaded with garlic and topped with salt. It’s just FANTASTIC and SOOO easy to make! With this perfect homemade sheet of goodness, I was able to start making this sandwich, again!
This is where the idea becomes less a specific recipe (even though it is one) and more a general concept for a larger sandwich idea.
The idea is, take the large sheet of focaccia, and split it evenly through the center, creating thin sheets representing the top and bottom. Imagine a GIGANTIC sandwich! Once you’ve got the two halves, you can spread your condiments into it, layer in your fillings, put the top on and … then CUT OUT the sandwiches, in any size and shape you’d like! Imagine you’re making sandwiches for the whole family. By doing this, you can cut out a big sandwich for Papa Bear, a medium sandwich for Mama Bear, and 3 little sandwiches for the cubs. This will likely leave a small sandwich or two for a midnight snack!
At the deli, we would cut different sizes and just sell them by the pound. Oh, I loved that idea!
Italian Turkey Club Sandwich
Print RateIngredients
- 1 sheet grain-free focaccia
- 1/2 cup Pesto alla Genovese
- 1 1/2 lb sliced turkey
- 12 slices cooked bacon
- 1 medium tomato sliced thin
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- This is best with a long, sharp serrated knife. Hold your knife directly in the middle of one corner of the focaccia sheet, with the knife blade parallel to the counter top. Slice in about 6 inches. Continue slicing, while slowly rotating the sheet in a circle. Be very careful not to break through the top or the bottom, as you gently saw away and rotate. The key is keeping the knife at precisely the midpoint between the top and bottom and making sure that it's ALWAYS perfectly parallel to your cutting surface. If it tilts, then it will begin to slice upwards, or downwards. Ultimately, you want two equal thicknesses to the top and bottom halves.
- Once both halves have been split, spread an equal amount of pesto on the inside of both the top and the bottom.
- On the bottom, evenly lay out the turkey, followed by the bacon and finally the tomatoes. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper on the tomatoes and then place the top on the whole thing, with the pesto side facing the tomatoes.
- Cut out sandwiches! This is designed for 6 substantial sandwiches, but a variety of numbers are possible. Cut out 48 little mini sandwiches for a party!
- Enjoy!
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* Learn More: More about this recipe and nutrition …
DJ – great idea to make a big sandwich and cut it up into smaller servings for whoever! I have to make this bread, oh I wonder how it would work as a sandwich with fresh mozzarella, roasted peppers, and some kind of deli meat. Maybe ham, or prosciutto? My mouth is watering. I might even be tempted to dip the bread in some olive oil and black pepper, oh boy!!
? Sandi
Just made these club sandwiches. They were great! Thank so much for the foccacia recipe. Its hard to find good grsin free sugar free breads that dont taste like a close cousinof cardboard. Will def make again.
Sandi, your sandwich ideas sound fantastic! 🙂 Jodi … glad to hear it! I actually think I might make these for lunch tomorrow. Thanks for the reminder!
This is a great idea! I want to try using the bread and making a muffaletta. Yum!
Kim, just make sure to save me a slice! 😉
All it’s missing is avocado;)
Slather a little in there, Jaime! I think it’d be a good fit! 🙂
Another method of cutting is to get a needed length of plain dental floss (unflavored) and pulling it towards you through the bread. This also works great for soft cheeses and cakes add well.
Jeff, true! I still think a good sharp knife is the way to go, though … Being very careful, of course. Thanks for the tip. I’m sure some people will try it … with varying degrees of success.
Is this in your book?
—Reply posted by DJ on 2/9/2015
It sure will be. In the “Lunch” section. Page 202, to be exact! Stay tuned! 🙂
Looks great! What kind of turkey are you using? Is 13 carbs right? Am I reading the chart wrong? 🙂
—Reply posted by DJ on 6/9/2015
Hi Liz. Thanks! 🙂 I don’t remember what I used in the photo, but I typically go with Applegate or Boar’s Head, if I can. For the nutrition, I use whatever the most generic option the USDA provides, shooting for the middle. Regarding the nutrition, yes. It’s about 13 carbs, but only about 8 1/2 NET carbs (see the right column … this has fiber and sugar alcohols removed from the total.) In the most simplistic terms, these do not impact blood sugars, so they are removed from the equation. That said, it’s never quite this simple. I suggest reading a bit more about “net carbs”, “fiber” and “sugar alcohols”. Unless noted, I almost universally suggest people use erythritol and erythritol based sweeteners as their sweeteners. I hope this helps!