French Pressed Sandwich Bites Recipe

Introduction

These French Pressed Sandwich Bites make a delightful and colorful snack, perfect for gatherings or a light lunch. Layered with fresh vegetables, smoked salmon, and flavorful spreads inside a soft ciabatta, they are as tasty as they are visually appealing.

Ingredients

• 1 good-quality ciabatta (about 300g/10 1/2 oz)
• 4 tbsp cream cheese
• 1/2 cucumber (peeled into strips)
• 30 g (2/3 packed cup) baby spinach
• 1 carrot (peeled and grated)
• 2 slices (about 60g/2 oz) smoked salmon
• 1/8 small red onion (peeled and thinly sliced)
• 2 radishes (sliced)
• 30 g (1 cup) mizuna or baby rocket leaves
• 1 roasted red or yellow pepper (from a jar, drained and roughly sliced)
• 3 tbsp red pepper hummus
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp fresh pesto
• 1 small cooked beetroot (grated, about 50g/1/4 cup)

Instructions

1. Step 1: Slice the top off the ciabatta loaf and carefully hollow out the inside, removing as much bread as possible. Save the removed bread for breadcrumbs later.
2. Step 2: Spread the base of the hollowed ciabatta with cream cheese in an even layer.
3. Step 3: Divide the base into thirds. Cover one third with cucumber strips, one third with baby spinach leaves, and the final third with grated carrot.
4. Step 4: Layer the smoked salmon over the cucumber, red onion slices over the spinach, and radish slices over the carrot.
5. Step 5: Add mizuna leaves on top of the salmon, roasted pepper slices over the red onion, and spread the red pepper hummus over the radishes.
6. Step 6: For the final layer, sprinkle lemon zest over the mizuna, dollop pesto on the roasted peppers, and top the hummus-covered radishes with grated beetroot.
7. Step 7: Replace the ciabatta lid carefully on top of the filled base.
8. Step 8: Wrap the entire ciabatta loaf tightly in baking parchment. Place it in the refrigerator with a baking tray on top, then add a heavy weight to press the sandwich. Leave it for a few hours or ideally overnight.
9. Step 9: Remove the wrapping and cut the ciabatta into thirds.
10. Step 10: Cut each third into a 3 by 3 grid to make 9 sandwich bites per section, totaling 27 bites.
11. Step 11: Arrange the sandwich bites on a plate and optionally serve with cocktail sticks for easy picking.

Tips & Variations

• Use fresh ciabatta from a bakery for the best texture and flavor.
• Feel free to swap smoked salmon for cooked chicken or turkey for a different protein.
• For a vegetarian option, omit the salmon and add extra roasted peppers or avocado slices.
• Pressing the sandwich helps the flavors meld and makes each bite firm and easy to handle.

Storage

Store the wrapped and pressed sandwich in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours for best freshness. Keep the sandwich bites covered in an airtight container to prevent drying out. Serve chilled or bring to room temperature before serving. Avoid freezing as the fresh vegetables and bread texture may be affected.

How to Serve

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I use a different type of bread?

Yes, but ciabatta works best due to its sturdy crumb and texture. Other breads like sourdough or a rustic white loaf can work if hollowed out similarly, but softer breads may not hold up well when pressed and sliced.

How long should I press the sandwich?

Pressing for a few hours is sufficient to allow the flavors to meld and the sandwich to firm up, but leaving it overnight provides the best results in texture and taste.

French Pressed Sandwich Bites Recipe

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5 from 57 reviews

This French Pressed Sandwich Bites recipe transforms a ciabatta loaf into a flavorful, layered bite-sized appetizer. Filled with fresh vegetables, smoked salmon, cream cheese, and vibrant spreads like pesto and hummus, this no-cook pressed sandwich is refrigerated under weight to meld the flavors and make perfect, easy-to-eat finger foods suitable for parties or light meals.

• Author: Amy
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 0 minutes
• Total Time: 4 hours 20 minutes (including chilling time)
• Yield: 27 sandwich bites 1x
• Category: No-Cook
• Method: No-Cook
• Cuisine: French-inspired
• Diet: Halal

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Base

• 1 good-quality ciabatta (about 300g/10 1/2 oz), ideally from a bakery
• 4 tbsp cream cheese

Vegetable Layers

• 1/2 cucumber, peeled into strips using a vegetable peeler
• 30 g (2/3 cup packed) baby spinach
• 1 carrot, peeled and grated/shredded
• 1/8 small red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 radishes, sliced
• 30 g (1 cup) mizuna or baby rocket leaves
• 1 roasted red or yellow pepper from a jar, drained and roughly sliced
• 1 small cooked beetroot, grated/shredded (about 50g/1/4 cup)

Protein and Flavor Additions

• 2 slices (about 60g/2 oz) smoked salmon
• 3 tbsp red pepper hummus
• 2 tbsp fresh pesto
• Zest of 1 lemon

Instructions

1. Prepare the Ciabatta: Slice the top off the ciabatta loaf. Using a knife, carefully cut around the inside edges of the loaf and scoop out the bread from inside with your hand, trying to remove as much bread as possible without piercing the crust. Save the removed bread crumbs for another use.
2. Spread the Cream Cheese: Evenly spread 4 tablespoons of cream cheese over the base of the hollowed-out ciabatta loaf, creating a moist foundation for the fillings.
3. Add the First Layer of Vegetables: Divide the base into three sections and cover one-third with cucumber strips, one-third with baby spinach leaves, and the last third with grated carrot.
4. Layer the Protein and Vegetables: Top the cucumber section with smoked salmon slices, the spinach section with thinly sliced red onion, and the grated carrot section with radish slices.
5. Add Leafy Greens and Roasted Peppers: Place mizuna leaves over the smoked salmon, roasted pepper slices over the red onion, and spread red pepper hummus over the radish slices.
6. Finish with the Final Toppings: Sprinkle lemon zest on top of the mizuna leaves, spread fresh pesto over the roasted peppers, and top the hummus-covered radishes with grated beetroot.
7. Reassemble the Loaf: Replace the sliced-off ciabatta lid on top of the assembled layers.
8. Press and Chill: Wrap the ciabatta loaf tightly in baking parchment. Place it in the refrigerator. Put a baking tray or flat plate on top and set a heavy weight (such as a heavy pestle and mortar) on the tray to press the sandwich. Leave it for several hours or ideally overnight to allow the layers to meld and compress.
9. Unwrap and Slice: Remove the wrapped sandwich from the refrigerator and unwrap it carefully. Slice the loaf into three equal parts.
10. Cut into Bites: Cut each third into nine small sandwich bites by slicing three times horizontally and vertically, making 27 bite-sized sandwiches in total.
11. Serve: Arrange the sandwich bites on a serving plate. Optionally, insert cocktail sticks into each bite for easy picking and serving at gatherings.

Notes

• Using bakery-quality ciabatta with a larger size provides ideal volume and texture.
• Removing as much bread as possible ensures more room for flavorful fillings and easier biting.
• Pressing the sandwich under weight overnight allows flavors to meld and creates neat, compact sandwich bites.
• You can prepare this sandwich a day in advance, making it a perfect make-ahead appetizer or snack.
• For variation, substitute smoked salmon with cooked chicken or turkey slices if desired.
• Save the removed ciabatta bread for homemade breadcrumbs or croutons.

Keywords: French pressed sandwich, ciabatta sandwich bites, no-cook appetizer, smoked salmon sandwich, layered sandwich bites, party finger foods