Anyone with kids will tell you that everyone likes their sandwiches just a bit differently. I have three kids and each one has their individual preferences which will make or break their desire to eat the sandwich. My daughter loves mayo but there’s no way she wants lettuce or mustard on her sandwich, my oldest son is all about the spicy mayo and the calabrese salami, my youngest hates cured meats, doesn’t like mayo and has to have cucumbers…it can be exhausting and I often just want to tell them to make it themselves; so I did. this is not a recipe as much as an idea for a great family dinner or an easy dinner party idea when you have lots of guests. 

I will include my recipes for Spicy Pesto Mayo and Caramelized Onion Spread , which is also an amazing chip dip because I think the key to putting something like this together is having it set up like Subway with as many ingredients as possible and as many sauce options you can think of, the sky’s the limit really, so just have fun with it.

The recipe for the Spicy Pesto Mayo came about when I was hosting a birthday party for my oldest son, we almost always had BYO sandwich parties for the family because we would have about forty family members and friend attending. The only sandwich I actually put together fully were the Italian hoagies which were a huge favorite, it was layered with Italian meats, spicy mayo, provolone cheese etc… (recipe to follow) and I always added a layer of fresh basil, on this occasion I forgot to buy fresh basil and I thought it wouldn’t be as good so I looked in my fridge and I had a jar or basil pesto, so I added it to the spicy mayo and OMG, it was even better! From that point on, it’s been a staple in my home and on all of my oldest son’s and my husband’s sandwiches.

 Some Items to Include:

• Grilled Chicken
• Grilled Sausages
• Salami
• Proscuitto
• Sliced Ham
• Crispy Bacon
• Roast Beef
• Lettuce
• Spinach
• Pickles
• Olives
• Banana Peppers
• Avocado
• Sliced Tomatoes
• Sliced Onion
• Fresh Basil
• Sliced Cucumber
• Grated Carrot
• Mayo
• Mustard
• Honey Mustard
• Spicy Pesto Mayo
• Caramelized Onion Spread
• Thousand Island Dressing
• Italian Dressing
• Italian Rolls
• Multigrain Rolls
• Croissants
• Cheese Buns

Spicy Pesto Mayo

1/2 cup Mayonaise, real stuff

1 1/2 – 2 tbsp Sriracha

2 Tsp Basil Pesto

Stir it up with a fork until smooth and you’re done. Keep it in the fridge in a sealed container for as long as the pesto is good, check expiry on the jar.

Caramelized Onion Spread/Dip

1 Cup Cream Cheese

1/2 Cup Mayonaise

1/2 Cup Sour Cream

1 Large Onion, sliced very thin

1 Tbsp Oil

2 tsp Better Than Boullion Beef

1 Tsp Black Pepper, ground

2 Tbsp Fresh Italian Parsley, chopped

Prepare onions, heat oil in a medium-sized pot over med/low heat, add onions and stir to coat. Cook on low for 25 to 40 minutes stirring occasionally to allow the onions to caramelize evenly. Remove from heat when all onions are a golden brown color, cool to room temperature. Combine all other ingredients in a blender, add cooled onions and blend until smooth. Check for seasoning and serve. Makes a great chip or vegetable dip and sandwich spread.