​​Make-Ahead Sandwiches For A Crowd Start With The Right Kind Of Bread

There are a few situations when a well-constructed sandwich that you casually assembled becomes the star of the show for your suddenly ravenous crowd. In the summer, it shines like a mirage for beachgoers who have worked up a hearty appetite in the sun, and over the holidays, it beckons appealingly with a nod to lavish and plentiful leftovers.

Lovingly made the night before or first thing in the morning, perhaps so as not to overwhelm the kitchen or simply to give the host or hostess a tiny reprieve between feeding folks, make-ahead sandwiches can be a showstopper when thought about with intention and prepared with one large sturdy loaf of bread. Assembling this staple with a big, firm loaf safeguards against it becoming soggy with time spent in the fridge, allows the vessel to keep all of the ingredients together, and happily creates a centerpiece that makes the sandwich feel more like a collective meal.

For this purpose, French bread is a bit soft, and a baguette is often too hard. You are aiming for a bread that can withstand the pressing, cut easily into servings, and be pleasant and not too challenging to bite into. This sweet spot is a tall order for a mere loaf, but a bread like ciabatta is a strong choice. A large loaf of bread in hand, the eventual enjoyment of any make-ahead sandwich comes down to the ingredients and how you layer them.

To elicit oohs and ahhs, and start your own "around the holidays" family sandwich tradition, you need a firm foundation. Start with a swath of mayo and any other sandwich condiments of choice on each cut side to protect the integrity of the bread from wet fillings. Then, add firm greens like arugula or flavor-forward herbs such as cilantro or parsley, perhaps a slightly pickled veg like red onions, slices of your favorite cheese, and place your chosen meat in the middle. Lastly, don't forget the pro move of seasoning your layers as you go.

The goal with a make-ahead sandwich is to avoid ingredients that have high water content (like pickles, unless you dice and mix them in with the mayo) or brown easily (like avocados), which will render the finished sandwich wet and somewhat sad-looking. Once you've stuffed it to your heart's content, cut it into however many pieces you need, wrap the sandwiches in parchment paper, and press with a large skillet to meld it all together. Then, pop it in the fridge and wait until the hungry horde descends.