Crock Pot Hoagies

Rarely do I post recipes that I find in cookbooks, magazines or blogs. My feeling is that if a recipe has already been published, why just rewrite the recipe and publish it again? But every once in a blue moon, I run across a recipe that is so unique and delicious and easy to prepare, that I feel the need to share it.

Crock Pot Hoagies is one such recipe.  All of the ingredients for a hoagie sandwich are stuffed between slices of a large loaf of artisanal bread and heated until hot and melty and just plain good -- in your crock pot!  Slices of Virgina ham, Capicola, salami, and provolone cheese and layered with sweet peppers, red onions and Italian spices and make a meal that is waiting for you instead of you waiting for it.

Thanks Robin Sue for another fantastic recipe.  Check out her blog Big Red Kitchen for many dinner, lunch, breakfast, and dessert recipes and ideas.

Crock Pot Hoagies

serves 6

Adapted from a  recipe on the Big Red Kitchen blog. This recipe uses a  6-quart oval crock pot.  If your loaf of bread is too large for your crock pot, slice off some of the end.  Use thin sliced meats and cheeses in this sandwich.

one oval loaf artisan bread - make sure it fits in your crock pot
18 slices provolone
18 slices Virginia ham
18 slices sweet or hot Capicola
18 slices Genoa Salami
sweet pepper rings
thin red onion slices
olive oil
oregano and basil
Large 6 quart oval crock pot

Slice bread 13 times, almost all the way through but leaving 1/2 inch space at the bottom. Layer three slices of cheese and top with 3 slices each of ham, Capicola, and Salami. Top with pepper rings and onions. Sprinkle with oregano and basil and repeat 5 times. Fold each bundle in half and tuck down between every other slice of bread to create 6 sandwiches. The sandwich may have "arched" its back, gently push down and wrap tightly in one then a second piece of heavy foil.

Place in crock pot on top of a small aluminum foil pan or balls of foil so it does not touch bottom of insert. Pour in 1/3 cup of water (I never like to have a "dry" crock pot, it just seemed to make sense to me to have a little water in there), it does nothing for the sandwich since it is wrapped up so tightly in foil. Cover and cook on low for 2-4 hours.

Remove foil-wrapped sandwich from crock pot.  To serve, cut each sandwich apart, drizzle the insides lightly with olive oil, and enjoy. Makes six sandwiches with the center two being quite generous in size.

Note- you may not need all the meat and cheese as the sandwiches on the ends are a bit smaller and will not hold as much.  Since the sandwich is wrapped in foil, it does not get soggy.  it is hot and steamy with the ham, Capicola, salami, and cheese all melted together.