The Gluten-Free Homemaker

My family has come to expect something special for dinner on Friday nights.  Often, that means home made gluten-free pizza, but I get tired of the same thing every week.  Of course, I do use differing pizza toppings and I vary the thickness of the crust, but sometimes I don’t have time for pizza or I just want something different.  Recently I’ve added calzones to our Friday night fare, but this focaccia bread sandwich has long been one that my guys are happy to eat instead of pizza.   They actually become quite excited about this meal.  It’s not particularly special, but it uses my gluten-free focaccia bread.  Even though they are all gluten eaters, they love this fresh, soft, and delicious bread.

I can’t say that this is a quick meal because you have to make the bread and then let it cool before slicing it, adding the fillings and reheating it.  However, you can make the bread earlier in the day so that there’s not as much to do at dinner time.  This recipe is extremely versatile because the sandwich filling is up to you.  Use whatever you like on a hot sandwich.

Gluten-Free Focaccia Bread Sandwich

First, make one gluten-free focaccia bread recipe, putting the dough into two large round cake pans.  I use one springform pan, and one 9 inch cake pan.  I don’t put the seasonings on top when I’m making this, but you could. Bake according to the recipe.

Let the bread cool completely or until no longer hot.  Slice each loaf horizontally. Brush the inside of the bread with olive oil and place your sandwich fillings on the bottom half of each loaf.
This picture shows cooked turkey sausage and turkey pepperoni pieces. You could use deli meats or leftover meat that is sliced or chopped.  Just make sure everything is cooked.
Top the meat with some cheese (if you eat dairy), and add a sauce.  Salad dressings work well, especially Ranch or Italian.  You could also use barbecue sauce if it goes with your meat.  You can spread the top piece of bread with mayonnaise and/or mustard.  Or just drizzle the fillings with a little olive oil.

Put the tops back on both loaves.  Wrap them in foil and place them in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes.
Slice each loaf into sandwich pieces.  An electric knife or large bread knife works well.


I don’t make this recipe frequently because I have to let the bread rise, bake the bread, let it cool, reheat the oven, and heat the sandwich.  It takes time, and often I don’t like heating the oven twice.  It’s definitely worth the time, but is not something I take the time to do on a regular basis.  That  makes it a special treat, which isn’t a bad thing.

This post is linked to Slightly Indulgent Tuesday at Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free.

Labels: beef, main dish recipes