New Orleans Style Muffuletta Sandwich

Note from Cheri: Here's a my version of New Orleans' famous Muffuletta Sandwich. Missing my youthful adventures in The Big Easy, I came up with this recipe for a picnic at the Hollywood Bowl -- a night of New Orleans music with Dr. John and Pete Fountain. While we used ham and salami, you could substitute your favorite blend of cold cuts instead. Why not serve some New Orleans Pecan Pralines for dessert like we did at the Hollywood Bowl picnic? If you have vegetarians in your group, click here for Vegetarian version of the Muffuletta.

1 recipe Muffuletta Olive Salad (follow link for recipe) 1 8-10 inch round loaf of French bread 4-6 oz. sliced smoked ham 4-6 oz. sliced Genoa salami 4-6 oz. Provolone cheese 2 ripe tomatoes, sliced 1/2 onion, thinly sliced

Serves 6 Cut the bread horizontally in half. Remove some of the soft center to allow room for the filling (use bread centers for another purpose). Spread half the olive salad on the bottom of the bread. Follow with a layer of cheese, followed by layers of meat and veggies. Finish off with another layer of cheese and the remaining olive salad. Wrap sandwich tightly in foil and refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving (you can make this a day ahead of time and it will still be great). Let stand at room temperature for about 30 mijnutes before serving. Cut into 6 wedges to serve.