8/29/11

5 Cream Cheese Sandwich Spread! Deli Sandwiches for a Crowd


I was asked to create menus, shop and prepare for several large groups of people, the largest group consisting of 83 people.

I learned many things along the way!

The first meal I made was Deli Sandwiches, and they were a HIT!  Everybody loved them!  What makes this sandwich unique and tasty is the "spread" used in place of the traditional mustard and mayonnaise.... no more soggy sandwiches!

I found 12" hoagie bread at Sam's Club and decided a serving would be a 4" slice.  French bread is also available, but it is wider than the hoagie bread, so you would need to make the slices smaller per serving.

To determine how many servings I would need, I looked closely at the group.  This was a group of teenagers and most of them were boys.  I figured that I would need at least TWO 4" sandwiches for each boy, and only one 4" sandwich for each girl.

If you do not know the ages/genders of the people in your group, it is always better to have MORE food than not enough.  If you are making 73 sandwiches, round it up to 75 or even 80.  Another method is to calculate 1.5 sandwiches per person. 

Next, determine how much food you will need.  Once I had my number of servings, I could multiply the recipe to make the number of desired sandwiches that I needed.

The night before, prepare the veggies.  My OXO mandoline slicer quickly and perfectly cut my tomatoes.



I wondered if it would work on the green onions.  It did!  Just be very, very, careful not to cut yourself.  It is sharp and I am not using the guard....


Can you prepare lettuce the night before?  Yes!  Only if you do not use a metal knife (it will cause your lettuce to turn brown) and you rinse and dry it really, really well.  My OXO salad spinner does a great job of drying ~ just don't overload it with a large batch of lettuce.


The traditional mustard and mayo, which can soak into the bread and make it soggy, is replaced with this yummy "spread." This, too, can be made the night before.

Simply mix in softened cream cheese, shredded cheddar cheese, sliced green onions, mayo, and Worcestershire sauce.


The next day, begin by cutting your bread length-wise almost all the way through.  The sandwich stays together better if it is not totally cut in half.

Using a rubber spatula, spread the cream cheese mixture in a single layer on one half of the bread.  Layer your meats, (I chose ham and turkey) tomato, and pickles on the other half.  Stuff generously with shredded lettuce. 

Wrap the entire sandwich in plastic wrap to hold it together and place in the fridge for no more than 2 hours.

Slice just before serving and enjoy!


Deli Sandwiches for a Crowd
(4x6 recipe download)     (full page printable recipe)

5 comments:

  1. These sandwiches look wonderful. I think I'll try them out on the family this weekend. We have grandkids coming and probably a picnic somewhere and these would be great. I found an OXO salad spinner many years ago on the reduced table of a grocery store. It was before everyone realized how great they were. I paid $9.95 for a brand new one and have been thrilled with it since.

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  2. Anonymous...lucky you on your salad spinner! I found mine at Ross for $20, so you got a great deal. Your family will enjoy these sandwiches. I think they would also be great for a Labor Day picnic, football game or other fun gathering.

    Enjoy!

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  3. Looks and sounds great! Perfect for Friday Night Football Games!

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  4. Looks delicious! I have cooked for large groups before and it's a TON of work! Great job!

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  5. That looks DELICIOUS! You are amazing!

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