Charcuterie Platters, Cold Cuts, Sandwiches &Wraps
This article is about the broad categories of charcuterie platters, cold cuts, and sandwiches. I will share with you several recipes. In some ways, the recipes are more like guidelines. The only limit here is the need to read all the labels.
Cold cuts are one of the many places where hidden allergens can strike, more on this later. Your platters, sandwiches and wraps can have any meats, cheeses, pickled items, fermented items, and fresh vegetables.
In today’s market, there are dozens of gluten free bread options available in stores. This is wonderful news for you sandwich fans out there. Remember to always read your ingredient labels. Recipes can change over time. If you have the time and inclination, you can even make bread at home.
Wraps are even more versatile than sandwiches. You can roll your meats and cheeses in a tortilla, a pita, even lettuce wraps. Meats can be rolled around cheese sticks, pickle spears, or around other meats.
This article can also be followed as a guide to getting sandwiches back in your diet. Making a sandwich requires you to source safe cold cuts, bread, and other toppings. Not to mention having a heat source to toast your sandwich without introducing cross contamination. Don’t be overwhelmed, we’ll get there one step at a time and enjoy a ton of tasty snacks along the way. We will begin with simple wraps and cold platters- focus on sourcing safe ingredients and finding other things that jive on the plate.
Working Around your Allergies
Bread and cold cuts are often tricky for people with allergies. Those with allergies to wheat and soy especially so, as both are common additives to both meats and bread. The lactose intolerant crowd now has options beyond omitting cheese from their sandwiches. There are a handful of non-dairy vegan cheeses. Those allergic to eggs should avoid traditional mayonnaise, but are also in luck, as there are now vegan alternatives. On the topic of mayo, soybean oil is the base for most commercial mayonnaise products. As I mentioned above- always read your ingredient labels. Remember to make each recipe your own!
Pickle Wraps
Let’s start with a simple three or four bite snack. These are a great lunchbox item, and go great with your favorite condiments.
Ingredients:
2-3 Slices of Lunch Meat
1 Slice of Cheese
1 Pickle Spear
Your favorite condiments, for serving
Instructions:
Layer your cold cuts flat on a plate, largest on the bottom. Add your cheese slice. Lay one pickle spear on top, then roll lengthwise. Serve with a side cup of mayonnaise or mustard.
Tips:
There are basically no rules here. Get experimental. If you’re unsure where to start, some of my favorites are- Ham, Turkey, and Salami on a dill spear; and Roast beef, Provolone cheese, and Swiss cheese on a dill spear.
Cheese Stick Wraps
Here’s another easy 3-bite snack for all the pickle-haters out there.
Ingredients:
2-3 Slices of Lunch Meat
1 Cheese Stick
Your favorite condiments, for serving
Instructions:
Layer your cold cuts flat on a plate, largest on the bottom. Add your cheese stick. Roll lengthwise. Serve with a side cup of mayonnaise or mustard.
Tips:
Just like its pickle-based cousin, there are no rules. Any meat, any cheese. Doesn’t even have to be a “proper” cheese stick. You can cut a standard cheese block lengthwise to get a nice, long rectangular core for your wrap.
Charcuterie Platter
Let’s keep the simplicity rolling with a much larger and more diverse meal. If you’re serving this for guests be sure to put some effort into the presentation.
Ingredients (as Pictured):
Salami
Turkey
Ham
Fresh Cucumbers
Pickles
Fresh Carrots
Fresh Cherry Tomatoes
Spanish Queen Olives
Kalamata Olives
Instructions:
Arrange all ingredients on a large plate and serve!
"Mexican" Sandwiches
This one is a favorite in my wife’s family. No bread? No problem! We will be using simple tortillas. Both corn and flour work fine, but corn tortillas make for a great gluten free option. Unlike the previous examples, we will be introducing heat in this one to cook the tortilla.
Ingredients:
2-3 Slices of Lunch Meat
1 Slice of Cheese
1 Tortilla
Your favorite condiments, for serving
Instructions:
First warm your tortilla on a comal or a dry frying pan. If using cheese, add it immediately after flipping the tortilla. Allow the cheese to melt slightly, then remove from heat. Layer your cold cuts flat on the tortilla, largest on the bottom. Roll lengthwise. Serve with a side cup of mayonnaise or mustard.
Tips:
Be sure to warm your tortilla even if you are not using cheese. Cold tortillas are not as pliable, nor as tasty, and both these qualities make them ill suited for this.
Italian Club Sandwich
Alright, if you have safe bread let’s take our first step into sandwich making. This is one of my favorite lunches whenever there is bread in my house.
Ingredients:
Salami
Turkey
Ham
Provolone Cheese
Sliced Roma Tomato
Pickled Banana Peppers
Mayonnaise
Dijon Mustard
Whole Grain Mustard
Instructions:
First toast your bread. Apply your condiments to the bread then stack all ingredients. Slice in half diagonally, then serve.
Tips:
Toast that bread! A hot toasty sandwich is always better than a cold one.