Pressed Sandwich
Pressed sandwich: hollowed French bread stuffed with sliced meat, crisp bacon, melted brie, and caramelized onions, then pressed golden in a skillet. Panini-style meat lover’s sandwich without a press.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
45 minREADY
1 hrsThis is a pressed hot sandwich done the old-school way, no sandwich press required. French bread loaves get their ends trimmed and centers hollowed out to make a cylinder of crust, then stuffed like a pocket with caramelized onions, cooked meat, crisp bacon, and melty brie before hitting the skillet under a weight.
Hollowing the bread matters. It creates space for a serious amount of filling while the crust turns into a pan-crisped shell. Save the removed bread for breadcrumbs or croutons; it would only get in the way of the filling.
The caramelized onions are the flavor anchor. Start covered on medium heat to sweat them, then uncover and crank the heat for another 10 minutes until they dry down and go golden. Rushing this step gets you limp, flat-tasting onions instead of sweet, jammy ones.
Brie is the smart cheese choice here. Its rind holds up in the press and the inside melts to a rich, buttery layer that carries the bacon flavor through every bite. Swap for gruyère or fontina if you want something sharper.
Pressing with a lid and a 2-pound weight (a cast iron skillet, or a brick wrapped in foil) is what turns this from a stuffed loaf into a proper crisped sandwich. Low heat, covered, steady pressure. Five minutes per side gives you golden crust and fully melted cheese.
Kitchen Tips
- Use a fresh baguette or French loaf, not an over-baked one. Stale bread cracks when you hollow it.
- Any cooked meat works: roast beef, turkey, chicken, or sliced ham. A mix is even better.
- Do not skip draining the bacon fat before starting the onions. Bacon grease in the onions tastes muddy and heavy.
- Cut the finished sandwich on the bias for a crunchy diagonal edge and easier pickup.
Variations
- Swap brie for sharp cheddar and add a smear of Dijon mustard for a richer, tangier bite.
- Slice a green apple thin and layer under the brie for a sweet crunch.
- Stir a handful of baby arugula in with the onions off the heat for a peppery lift.
Ingredients
Directions
DEFROST COOKED MEAT, if necessary.
Cut the ends off the bread and cut each loaf in half the short way.
Remove the center of the bread.
Set the hollow loaves aside.
Arrange the bacon in a large skillet or fry pan and place over medium heat.
Cook, turning once, until crisp.
Remove the bacon, drain on paper towels and discard the fat in the pan.
Replace the pan on the stove, add 2 tablespoons oil and the onions.
Cover and cook until soft, about 7 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to high and cook, stirring often until onions begin to dry out and turn a light golden color, another 10 minutes or so.
Remove from the heat, scrape the onions into a bowl and set aside.
Stuff a cheese slice and a bacon rasher in each loaf of bread.
Using the handle of a large wooden spoon, stuff in the meat and onions.
Choose a skillet or roasting pan large enough to hold 4 sandwiches and choose a flat cover that is smaller than the pan.
Heat half the remaining oil over low heat, place the sandwiches in the skillet with the cover on top of the sandwiches.
Place a 2-pound weight on the cover and cook for about 5 minutes.
Remove the cover, turn the sandwiches and add the remaining oil.
Replace the cover and press down with the weights.
Cook another 5 minutes. Remove the sandwiches from the heat and keep warm in a 250 degrees F oven while you cook the remaining 2 sandwiches.
To serve, cut each sandwich in half, then diagonally cut each half into triangular pieces.
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